Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday night in central London in which seven people died and three terrorists were killed.

The group has claimed this action through the related news agency Amaq, which has disclosed the information through the application of Telegram messages, reports the British channel BBC.

"A security unit of Islamic State fighters has carried out the London attacks of yesterday", the message explains, published at 22:26, British time (23.26, peninsular Spanish time).

??On Sunday, the British police arrested 12 people in connection with the attack that left seven people dead and 48 injured in London on Saturday, while trying to establish connections with the three terrorists who were killed.

??Armed agents began to search on Sunday several houses in the Barking neighborhood, east of London, where explosions took place and some arrested were taken by ambulance, witnesses said.

The Police is also looking at the images of security cameras in the London Bridge area and the Borough Market on the south bank of the Thames River, where a van run over the passers-by and three men stabbed numerous people indiscriminately.

The investigators hope to reconstruct the movements of the alleged terrorists, both before the attack and during the incident, which began shortly after 22.00 (21.00 GMT).

A large area around the scene remains cordoned off, while forensic experts collect evidence to try to understand in detail what happened.

Eight minutes and 50 shots

The Scotland Yard superintendent Cressida Dick reported that the Police took eight minutes to shoot down terrorists since receiving the first calls for help and stressed that the number of patrols in London has been strengthened to ensure security.

The Metropolitan Police sub-inspector Mark Rowley said that eight officers opened fire on the three terrorists at the Borough Market and made up to 50 shots fearing that the attackers would carry explosives to kill themselves.

The police official emphasized that the incident of Saturday has conclude and they don´t believe that any person who had participated in the attack has fled.

This is the third major terrorist investigation launched by the security forces in just three months, following the March attack on the British Parliament, which left five people dead, and the attack in Manchester two weeks ago with 22 dead people, in addition to the suicide bomber.