The chief executive of an Islamic community group has condemned the killing of a soldier in London in a suspected terrorist attack.

East Anglian Daily Times: Manwar Ali, chief executive of JimasManwar Ali, chief executive of Jimas (Image: Archant)

Manwar Ali, from charity Jimas based in Ipswich, said that the “barbaric murder” in Woolwich was “an attack on everyone in the UK”.

The man, who was a serving soldier in the Armed Forces, was killed in an attack outside Woolwich Barracks, which houses a number of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and independent companies of the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards, yesterday afternoon.

Two men, believed to be British citizens with Nigerian connections who converted to a radical form of Islam, were shot by armed police and are under guard in hospital.

Mr Ali said: “It sickens, angers and saddens us just as it should every true member or genuine citizen of the UK and our citizens are made up of many ethnicities and religious beliefs and practices,” he added.

“To almost every single Muslim, this savage attack, murder and subsequent attention grabbing comments by the criminals were outright acts of open and wanton enmity against everything Islam is about and the Muslims.

“We cannot and will not allow such evil and vile deeds to be committed in our name or religion by anybody.

“This crime is unthinkable in terms of reaching the peak or barbarity and the faith of anyone who has basic knowledge of Islam.

“It simply has no basis in Islam. We do condemn it.

“It is impossible to offer any justification for it.”

Security has been tightened at the army barracks near the scene of yesterday’s killing.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “As a result of the incident in Woolwich, a number of additional security measures have been put in place.”

Relatives of the dead soldier have been informed, though he has yet to be named.