London police release photographs of four suspects

Images of four suspects in Thursday’s London bombings were released by Scotland Yard Friday. The photographs were taken at London Tube stations and on a bus where "minor" explosions occurred on Thursday.

Assistant Police Commissioner Andy Hayman said that these were the images of four men whom the police urgently wanted to trace in connection with attempts to detonate four explosive devices on the transport system in central London. The images of the suspects were captured by CCTV.

"It's crucial that detectives are able to question them about events at the Oval, Shepherd's Bush and Warren Street London Underground stations and a route 26 bus in Hackney Road," Hayman was quoted as saying by Sky News.

"Yesterday's incidents do bear similarities to the bomb attacks in London on July 7," said Hayman, referring to the rush hour attacks in central London two weeks ago.

He said Thursday's devices, contained in dark colored bags or rucksacks, were left in three subway trains and a bus.

"There are other features that are emerging that are also of interest to detectives," Hayman said, according to the AP, adding that officers were actively pursuing lines of inquiry in a fast-moving investigation.

As BBC reports, officers raided three addresses across the capital on Friday as part of anti-terrorist operations. That included a search of an address in Harrow Road, west London, where an area resident said she heard six shots fired.

As Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said officers hunting Thursday's would-be bombers were facing "previously unknown threats and great danger."

"This operation is targeted against criminals - not any community or section of a community," Sir Ian added.

Thursday's attacks began at about 1230 BST, with bombs at Warren Street station, central London, Shepherd's Bush station in the west, Oval in the south and on a bus in Shoreditch, east London. Three of the devices found were the same size and weight as those used for the 7 July London bombings. The same chemicals also appear to have been used, reminds BBC.

On the photo: CCTV image of one of the four suspects Photo by Sky News