UK – (WARSOOR) – A member of the British parliament has been injured after being attacked in northern England, media reports have said.
Local media reported on Thursday that Labour party member Jo Cox, 41, had been shot at her advice surgery in Birstall, near the city of Leeds.
Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Phillips, reporting from London, said Cox was believed to be in critical condition.
“She was taken by air ambulance from Birstall library near the city of Leeds. Eyewitnesses say she was shot and stabbed and taken by air ambulance to Leeds infirmary,” he said.
A mother of two, Cox has been an MP since 2015 and chairs the all-party parliamentary committee on Syria, Phillips added.
West Yorkshire Police said a 52-year-old man had been arrested by armed police and that a woman in her 40s had suffered serious injuries.
“Very concerned about reports Jo Cox has been injured,” Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her family.”
A man in his late 40s to early 50s nearby also suffered slight injuries, police said.
One eyewitness told the Press Association that Cox had intervened in a scuffle between two men, one of which had pulled a gun from a bag which was then fired twice.
TV footage showed the surrounding area had been sealed off.
Cox, a Cambridge University graduate and aid worker, became a Labour MP for Batley and Spen last year. Known for her work on women’s issues, Cox has worked with several charities.
Source: Reuters