British Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed on Monday to defeat the "callous" terrorists behind the London bombings, which claimed at least 52 lives and injuring 700 others.

In a statement to parliament members Monday afternoon, Blair praised the emergency services for their handling of the atrocities, saying their response had been "magnificent", the Sky news reported.

In his words, it was likely that Islamic extremists were behind the attacks.

So far some 56 people still remain in hospital, some severely injured.

Blair revealed that police liaison officers have been assigned to 74 families, which indicates the final number of dead may be higher.

"We express our revulsion at this murderous carnage of the innocent. We send our deep and abiding sympathy and prayers to the victims and their families. We are united in our determination that our country will not be defeated by such terror," he said.

Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy joined Blair in condemning the bombers and praising the government's handling of the emergency.

Source: Xinhua