Janet Ajao said she has shed many tears for the victims of the attack since she discovered that her son was responsible
The mother of the terrorist who killed four people in an attack in the English Parliament in London last Wednesday said she was “deeply shocked, sad and stunned” by her son’s actions. In a statement released by police, Janet Ajao said she had shed a lot of tears for the victims since she discovered that her son, Khalid Masood , was responsible for the “horrific incident.”
Ajao said she wants to make it “absolutely clear” that she does not forgive her son’s actions or support the beliefs that led to the attack. Masood was born in the south of England in 1964 as Adrian Elms but incorporated the name Adrian Ajao from his stepfather, whom his mother married when he was a child. According to police, the terrorist changed his name to Khalid Masood in 2005. Janet Ajao currently lives in the hinterland of Wales.
Attack on terrorist groups – On Monday, London police said they found no evidence of an alleged connection between Masood and jihadist groups like the Islamic State (EI) and Al Qaeda. British security forces believe the 52-year-old assailant had “copied” the “low-cost” techniques promoted by these groups, but found no evidence that he had help from others to plan the attack.
Masood’s actions “resemble the rhetoric of the Islamic state for its methodology, and why it attacked police and civilians,” police spokesman Neil Basu said. “However, at this time, we have no proof that he had planned this with others,” he said. There is also no evidence that Masood “radicalized himself in prison in 2003 as suggested” and this thesis is “pure speculation,” Basu added.
Masood was killed by gunmen on the outskirts of the English parliament after he had killed police officer Keith Palmer, 48, with a knife. Earlier, the terrorist ran over a 4 × 4 vehicle hired dozens of people strolling down Westminster Bridge, leaving others dead and dozens injured.
According to the Guardian newspaper, Masood was already known by MI5, the British secret service, since 2010 when he returned to England from Saudi Arabia, where he had taught English. But he eventually came off the radar of the country’s intelligence. British Prime Minister Theresa May recently confirmed that Masood had been previously investigated by the intelligence services, but only as a “peripheral” figure. At the moment there is increasing pressure for an official explanation as to how close Masood had been monitored and why surveillance was halted.
Arrests
On Sunday, a man was detained in Birmingham, central England, for being linked to the bombing. With this latest arrest, the total number of people arrested has risen to 12, though nine have already been released without charges, while a woman has been released on bail.
Another man, 58, detained Thursday in Birmingham, also remains in custody for detectives investigating the case. In addition, police searched 15 properties in several British cities, such as London, Brighton and Manchester, as well as other areas of southern England.
British police are looking for people linked to Masood who may be planning other attacks or have been radicalized as well.
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