London Mayor Boris Johnson speaks to the media near the scene of the killing of a British soldier in Woolwich, southeast London May 23, 2013. The soldier was hacked to death on Wednesday by two men shouting Islamic slogans in a south London street, in what Prime Minister David Cameron said appeared to be a terrorist attack.LUKE MACGREGOR/Reuters
British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed that Britain would not be cowed by the horrific bloodshed, and that it would reject "the poisonous narrative of extremism on which this violence feeds."
London Mayor Boris Johnson urged the people of the city to remain calm. "Everything I am hearing leads me to think that Londoners can go about their business in the normal way and we are going to bring the killers to justice," he said.
In Washington, President Barack Obama said the U.S. "stands resolute with the United Kingdom" in the fight against violent extremism.
For now, officials increased security at military barracks and installations in London, with extra armed guards added in many cases. Police said extra patrols were added at sensitive areas, including places of worship, transport hubs and congested areas.