Summary:

Met Police are treating the incident as terror-related

A person is believed to have attacked people with a knife

A man has been detained by police, he was shot

There are up to five casualties , according to police, with 2 confirmed dead as of 1:30 pm ET.

Officers have cordoned off the bridge

London Bridge Station is closed

An explosion was heard at the south end of the bridge, near Borough Market

Suspect shot dead at scene

Police declare incident an 'act of terror'

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Update (1330ET) : The number of confirmed deaths in Friday's attacks has risen to 2...

#LondonBridge: Reports now claiming 2 people were killed in the #London Bridge attack.#UK police have also said that the explosive device strapped to the body of the suspect was fake.#British PM #BorisJohnson has promised that all involved will be brought to justice. — Paula Slier (@PaulaSlier_RT) November 29, 2019

Fortunately, the London Bridge station has reopened after the incident.

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Update (1022ET) : Met Police have confirmed this is terror-related...

Workers at Amazon distribution centers in Germany have gone on strike for better pay on Black Friday, one of the busiest days of the year for retailers.

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Five people have reportedly been in killed in a series of attacks on or near London Bridge early Friday afternoon, according to Sky News.

Various reports by the media and statements by police described a series of attacks likely perpetrated by numerous attackers. Gunshots were reported on London Bridge, while explosions and an assailant stabbing victims were reported at nearby Borough Market. Early repots suggest most of those dead were killed in stabbing incidents.

BREAKING UPDATE: At least 5 casualties after the stabbing attack on London bridge in central London, condition of the victims unknown at this time, attacker was shot dead by police. — News_Executive (@News_Executive) November 29, 2019

Numerous police and ambulance vehicles responded to the scene on the busy thoroughfare as footage of the aftermath circulated on twitter. The BBC is reporting that witnesses saw several men attacking another man, and that at least one individual was shot. Media reports claim a suspect is in custody, while other reports claim a suspect has been shot by police.

Police shouting for everyone to move away. Real panic setting in at London Bridge. Rumours of a shooting? pic.twitter.com/vBZoKu73za — Timothy Johnson (@timtj) November 29, 2019

Other clips circulating on line showed cops with their guns drawn and apparently pointing them at an individual on the ground.

Here's that same scene from a different angle:

Now, more footage has emerged of what looks like police arresting a possible suspect.

Here's a closeup of that frame:

Other photos showed emergency vehicles and cops rushing to the scene.

After the shootings, reporters said there was an explosion at the nearby Borough Market, and that one suspect armed with a knife is at large.

Senior UK officials are monitoring the situation.

I am in close contact with the Met Commissioner.



Please follow @MetPoliceUK for further updates and follow the directions of any officers on the ground if you are near the incident. https://t.co/h4oBVHlhCp — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) November 29, 2019

London's Metropolitan Police confirmed that they're "in the early stages of dealing with an incident at London Bridge" and have blocked off the area.

We are in the early stages of dealing with an incident at London Bridge. Please follow @metpoliceuk for updates. If you are near the scene, please follow the directions of any officer on the ground. — MPS Events (@MetPoliceEvents) November 29, 2019

We are currently dealing with an incident at London Bridge. Please stand by for updates. — MPS Events (@MetPoliceEvents) November 29, 2019

Both marches are now in Whitehall / Parliament Street. — MPS Events (@MetPoliceEvents) November 29, 2019

While shootings like this happen all the time in the US, they're much more rare in the UK, where guns are effectively banned. London has been struggling lately with a surge in violent crime, though much of the attacks have been carried out by knife-wielding aggressors.

The incident is looking like a repeat of the London Bridge attacks from 2017, when seven were killed by 'lone wolf' jihadi attackers.