LONDON — The authorities in Britain said on Monday that they were treating an early morning attack near a mosque in London as a possible act of terrorism, amid fears of retaliation for several recent assaults in the country attributed to Islamist extremists.
Shortly after midnight, a van rammed into a group of pedestrians near the Finsbury Park Mosque, in North London. One person died at the scene and at least 10 were wounded, but the authorities said it was not immediately clear if the attack was responsible for the man’s death.
The assault, which the police said was carried out by a 48-year-old white man who was believed to be acting alone, drew condemnation from a broad array of political and religious figures and came at what Prime Minister Theresa May acknowledged was “a difficult time in the life of the city.”
Some Muslims and others were asking whether the authorities and the news media were quick enough to describe the assault on Monday as an act of terrorism — although Mrs. May said the attack had been declared terrorism within eight minutes.
Speaking in front of her offices at 10 Downing Street, Mrs. May denounced the assault as an act of “hatred” and “evil” against innocent civilians during the holy month of Ramadan, and said security at mosques would be bolstered
Seeking to capture the mood of a wounded but unbowed capital, Mrs. May said that it was an “extraordinary city” of “extraordinary people,” and that British values of freedom of speech and freedom of religion would prevail.
Calling the attack a “sickening attempt” to destroy those freedoms, she noted that extremism and hatred could take many forms. But she said the country would never give into hate.
Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said he recognized that many Muslims would be angry about the attack and appealed for calm, but he also warned of a rising tide of anti-Islamic sentiment.
“During the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship,” Mr. Khan said. “Over the past weeks and months, Muslims have endured many incidents of Islamophobia, and this is the most violent manifestation to date.”
Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism at the Metropolitan Police, praised the bystanders who had intervened to detain the suspect, and he urged residents to remain calm and vigilant.
“No matter what the motivation proves to be, and we are keeping an open mind, this is being treated as a terrorist attack and the Counter Terrorism Command is investigating,” Mr. Basu said, adding that additional officers had been deployed across London.
Britain has been shaken by a series of attacks recently. In March, an assailant mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and stabbed a police officer outside Parliament, killing five people before the police shot and killed him.
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