The assailant who carried out a deadly attack outside Parliament on Wednesday was born in Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons Thursday.

"What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism," she told lawmakers.

"He was a peripheral figure," May said, adding that "he was not part of the current intelligence picture."

Watch video 00:49 Share Seven arrests over British parliament terror attack Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2ZnEU Arrests over British parliament terror attack

The prime minister went on to say that there had been no prior intelligence of his plot to carry out an attack on the Westminster Bridge and Parliament.

The militant "Islamic State" (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack later on Thursday, saying the attacker was one of its "soldiers," according to the IS Aamaq news agency.

The British Parliament reopened on Thursday, one day after the deadly attack that took place outside the Palace of Westminster. MPs and police observed a somber minute of silence to remember the victims.

Arrests made in police raids

Prime Minister May also confirmed that police carried out raids in Birmingham and London as part of the investigation into the attack, arresting a total of eight people.

Earlier on Thursday, Mark Rowley, Britain's top anti-terrorism officer, added that authorities believe the attacker "acted alone" and was "inspired by international terrorism."

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London Shots ring out Shortly before 15:00 UTC, multiple shots followed by screaming were reported outside London's Houses of Parliaments. Authorities rushed to the scene as the House of Commons went into lockdown. The first reports came in from political reporters barred from leaving the premises.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London Injuries on Westminster Bridge A male attacker first ran down pedestrians with an SUV on Westminster Bridge, an area highly frequented by tourists. The vehicle then rammed into a gate near Big Ben.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London Police cordon off the area The knife-wielding assailant then fatally stabbed a police officer on Parliament's grounds. The attacker was subsequently shot and killed while authorities secured the area around the Palace of Westminster.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London An attack in the heart of downtown London Transport for London, greater London's public transport authority, diverted buses in the area of the attacks. People working in the area sought alternative routes home as traffic remained blocked at the end of the work day on Wednesday.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London International leaders react International leaders offered their condolences following the attack. German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed Germany's support for the UK "in the struggle against all forms of terrorism." The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also expressed her sympathies as the Scottish Parliament canceled a debate on a second independence referendum.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London Emergency response blankets the area Individuals present in the affected area described sirens blaring and the drone of helicopters overhead. British media reported "catastrophic injuries" while police confirmed four individuals had been killed. Another 29 people were being treated in hospital for their injuries - seven of them were critically wounded.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London Police raid homes in Birmingham and London A few hours after the attack, police made eight arrests after conducting armed raids on six homes in London and the central city of Birmingham (pictured above). The raids were part of an investigation into the Westminster attacker.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London Attacker 'acted alone' Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley told reporters that he believed the assailant "acted alone" and that he was "inspired by international terrorism." Prime Minister Theresa May later said the attacker was British-born and was known to authorities.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London 'IS' claims attack The militant "Islamic State" (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack later on Thursday, saying the attacker was one of its "soldiers," according to the IS Aamaq news agency. It was not immediately clear whether the attacker was directly connected to the group.

Attacks on UK Houses of Parliament in London Normality is 'greatest response to terror' Prime Minister May hailed the millions of people in London who went about their lives the day after the attack. "It is in these actions - millions of acts of normality - that we find the best response to terrorism," she said. The city will hold a candlelight vigil for the victims on Thursday evening.



Police have said they know the identity of the attacker but have not yet named him as investigations into his "motivation and associates" are ongoing. Rowley added that police have "no specific information about further threats to the public."

He also revised the death toll, saying that four people are dead - including the attacker - and that 29 people are currently being treated in hospital for their injuries. Seven of those wounded are in critical condition.

A knife-wielding man plowed a car into a crowd of pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge and stabbed a policeman outside the British Parliament on Wednesday. The assailant was shot shortly after stabbing the officer.

Police reported earlier that five people had died and that a total of 40 people were wounded.

Details on victims emerge

One German national was wounded in the attack, Prime Minister May told Parliament on Thursday. Another 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one Pole, one Irish national, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks required hospital treatment.

Earlier, police said the victims of the attack include 48-year-old Keith Palmer, the policeman who was stabbed, and two members of the public - a woman in her mid-40s and a man in his mid-50s. The attacker is the fourth dead.

The three French high-school students, aged between 15 and 16, were on a school trip to London with fellow students from Brittany. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault traveled to the British capital to visit them in hospital and visit Parliament.

One of the Romanian victims was a woman who was rescued from the River Thames, into which she fell after the attacker's vehicle plowed through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. Romanian officials said that the woman was in London to celebrate her boyfriend's birthday.

The woman sustained serious injuries to her head and lungs while her boyfriend suffered a fractured foot, Romanian Ambassador Dan Mihalache told Realitatea TV late on Wednesday.

'We are not afraid'

May honored the police and hailed the everday actions of people who went about their lives in London, saying it was proof that the attack failed to break the spirit of Britons.

"It is in these actions - millions of acts of normality - that we find the best response to terrorism - a response that denies our enemies their victory, that refuses to let them win, that shows we will never give in," May told Parliament.

Several Londoners appeared to echo the prime minister's sentiment to defiantly carry on with their lives. The Tower Hill Underground station, known for writing a quote of the day for busy travelers to ponder as they rush through the city, posted a picture of today's quote on Twitter: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of them all."

They added the hashtags "London is open" and "We are not afraid."

Queen Elizabeth II also offered her condolonces to victims of the attack after postponing her visit to open the new headquarters of London's Metropolitan Police on Thursday.

"My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by yesterday's awful violence," she said in a message to police.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said a candlelight vigil for the victims will be held tonight at 6:00 p.m. GMT (UTC) in Trafalgar Square.

rs/se (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)