'KILL ME! KILL ME!'
Finsbury Park mosque attack hero tells how he pinned van driver to the ground as he begged crowd to KILL HIM
A BRAVE man who punched the Finsbury Park van attacker before pinning him to the ground said the driver begged him to "kill him".
One man has died and 10 are injured after a white hire van ploughed into worshippers leaving Muslim Welfare House, north London, at 12.20am this morning in an apparent terror attack.
9
9
9
9
9
Witness Abdulrahman Aidroos told BBC Breakfast today he tackled the attacker to the ground and a group of brave onlookers pinned him down until police arrived.
He said: "I just heard a van turning into us.
"I managed to get away but lot of people got injured.
"[The driver] came back and then I hit him on his stomach.
MOST READ IN NEWS
9
"He fell down on the floor and then me and other guys held him to the ground until he couldn't move, we stopped him until the police came."
Mr Aidroos said the attacker was shouting "kill all Muslims, kill all Muslims".
He said: "When we put him on the ground I asked him 'why did he do that?'
"I was very emotional and very upset.
"He said 'kill me, kill me'."
He described the man as "very strong - like a builder" and said he believed he was in his 50s.
What we know so far:
- A van ran down pedestrians on Seven Sisters Road in Finsbury Park, North London just after 12:20am on Monday morning
- One man was killed and 10 people were injured outside Muslim Welfare Centre as worshippers left a late evening prayer meeting
- Photos of the van used in the smash show it baring the logo of a Wales-based rental company
- Scotland Yard confirmed a man, 48, had been arrested at the scene following a massive armed response
- He reportedly screamed "kill me, kill all Muslims" as hero bystanders tackled him to the ground
- Prime Minister Theresa May described the apparent attack as a "possible terror incident" and said she will chair an emergency session of the security Cabinet later today
- Jeremy Corbyn said he was "totally shocked"
- Muslim Council of Britain condemns the attack saying they had "been calling for increased action to tackle the growth in hate crime for many years"
- The chairman of the Finsbury Park mosque says the van crash that hit worshippers was a "cowardly attack" and urged Muslims going to mosques to be vigilant
He said: "We couldn't hold him that much as he was very strong.
"Luckily there other people who came out from the mosque who came to help us.
"We told them call the ambulance, call the police."
He said the group had to hold the attacker for 20 minutes until police arrived and arrested the suspect.
Mr Aidroos told This Morning he also tried to protect the suspect while holding him down as furious locals kicked him.
He said: "He's a human as well.
"Everyone was emotional, everyone was sad, everyone was crying.
"As I was holding his two hands and his neck, people were trying to kick him, I was trying to protect him as well."
9
9
Footage shows a man giving CPR to a victim in the street while another man’s head injury was treated with a makeshift dressing.
Witnesses have revealed how people could be heard shouting and screaming amid the chaos and bloodstains were visible on the pavement.
Theresa May has called an emergency Cobra meeting this morning in the wake of the attack.
Witnesses say the wounded were out late for worship after fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
9
Cynthia Vanzella, who lives opposite the scene, told The Sun: "It was really ugly. I saw at least two people on the floor not moving and police officers trying to do chest massage on them desperately trying to save them. I just hope they did."
Mohammed Kozbar, chairman of nearby Finsbury Park Mosque, said: "Whoever did this, he did it to hurt people and it’s a terrorist attack.
“We call it a terrorist attack as we called it in Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge.
“The van drove over people who were leaving late prayers. They were gathering in Seven Sisters Road.
“I heard there are fatalities but I don’t want to jump to conclusions.
“My concern now is the casualties who have been affected.”
Did you witness the attack? Email the Sun Online news team at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368
Topics