A 29 year-old man, who's since been charged with attempted murder, is said to have shouted "this is for Syria" as it unfolded.
At around 7pm on a Saturday night in London, commuters at Leytonstone Underground station are greeted with a shocking sight.
The incident was captured on amateur video.
Police surround a man armed with a knife who moments earlier had stabbed another man in the neck.
A massive pool of blood sits at the foot of a nearby ticket barrier.
Commuters describe walking through the station's underground passages where they saw people running for their lives.
"I could hear pleading for help. It was, I think, it was female shouting for 'help, help, help' and all of a sudden all the people start running out from the station. The guy went out and start chasing the girl around the statue. No one come to help her, so I don't know where she run from there because... because I hid myself behind the recycling bin for the charity."
Witness Michael Garcia says at first he thought a fight had broken out but soon realised it was something much more sinister.
"I look over, I see a guy huddled on the floor behind the barriers and a guy brandishing a knife. It was a small blade that was about three inches long, and he's screaming 'Go on then, run, run!' And there's just people like wanting to go forward and help the guy, but the guy is standing right next to him just brandishing a knife."
Police officers responding to the attack used tasers to try and subdue the man.
Commuters standing just metres away recorded it with their mobile phones and yelled at the man to give up.
"Drop it, you fool! Drop it!"
"Taser him, taser him, taser him! (bang) Taser him! It didn't work."
The next attempt did work.
Police swoop on the man seconds after he crashes to the ground.
He's again chastised by onlookers - including one whose words are still echoing around the world.
"You ain't no Muslim, bruv! You ain't no Muslim!"
Within hours, similar sentiments were expressed by an Imam from the nearby Leytonstone Mosque, Imran Patel.
"We are extremely saddened by the event that occurred at Leytonstone underground station yesterday evening. This was an individual who we do not know. And he is not a member of the congregation of Leytonstone. We strongly condemn any sort of violence and terrorism and any violent acts. Islam does not allow and does not have any place for any violence and terrorism."
The attack comes just days after British MPs approved the bombing of IS targets in Syria.
Several witnesses have said the man was screaming about Syria as the attack unfolded.
Authorities say it's being treated as a terrorism incident and a search has been carried out at a Leytonstone property.
The head of Britain's Counter-terrorism Command, Richard Walton, is calling for anyone else with mobile phone footage to come forward.
"We're pursuing a number of lines of inquiry at the moment, but at this stage at this particular time, motive is not that clear so we want to get some additional evidence. We want to know exactly what happened, precisely, with the attack itself."
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