Third London Attacker Revealed as 22-Year-Old Youssef Zaghba

Italian media has identified the third London attacker as Youssef Zaghba from East London, who wasn’t a person of interest to police or British Intelligence agency MI5.

Zaghba, along with Rachid Redouane and Khuram Butt, who are both from an East London suburb known as Barking, were the assailants in the London attack that left seven dead and at least 48 wounded on Saturday night.

Police were able to confirm his identity once it was reported in Italy. According to the Italian press, Zaghba was employed in a Pakistani restaurant in London and reported to have been on a list of persons at risk in Italy. However, he was not on the radar of counter-terrorism investigators in Britain although Italian authorities had warned British and Moroccan authorities about his moves.

The 22-year-old son of an Italian mother and Moroccan father was stopped at Marconi airport in Bologna on March 15, 2016 as he attempted to travel to Istanbul with just a backpack and a one-way ticket. He became agitated as he made his way to the check-in desk, newspapers report. When officials challenged him he told them “I am going to be a terrorist,” according to La Repubblica. At the time, his passport and mobile phone were impounded, which led authorities into discovering propaganda footage and religious sermons on his device that confirmed his desire to join Islamic state.

Redouane, who is believed to be either 25 or 30 years old because he used two different birth dates, had not been known to authorities. There is scarce information on him besides the notion that he also went by the name of “Elkhdar” and is claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan.

Butt, 27, was associated with the banned extremist group al-Muhajiroun and had previously sparked concerns from friends and neighbors. Over a year ago, Butt’s neighbor, Erica Gasparri, reported him to the police because he was trying to radicalize local children, including her own, at a park.

“It was wrong what he was doing,” she told the AP. “He kept talking about the Islamic state. I got very angry.”

Gasparri claimed she witnessed him among a gathering at a park which didn’t appear “normal.”

“They were talking to the kids about the religion. Kind of like they were imposing themselves. And giving them sweets … and playing football with them,” she told Reuters. “The main talk was about religion, how good it’s to be Muslim, to the [point] that my kids came home and said ‘Mummy, can we become Muslim, there is a gentleman telling us, teaching us.’”

Featured Image via Flickr/Tim Morris