TerrorismFour arrested in London in plot to behead people on city streets
Officers from the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism unit early yesterday arrested four young men in London over a suspected terrorist plot to grab people on the streets of London and behead them. One of the four arrested was said to have links to Syria and Islamic State (ISIS). Security analysts have said that ISIS would likely seek to retaliate against the United Kingdom in response to British fighter planes joining the U.S. and Arab states in bombing raids on ISIS targets in Iraq.
London police stop beheading attacks similar to planned Sydney attacks // Source: yeusaigon.net
Officers from the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism unit early yesterday arrested four young men in London over a suspected terrorist plot to grab people on the streets of London and behead them. One of the four arrested was said to have links to Syria and Islamic State (ISIS).
Counter-terrorism officials said one of the four had access to weapons and, accordingly, the officers who raided his address were heavily armed. This one suspect was subdued by a Taser gun.
The four men, aged 20 to 21, were being questioned at police stations in central London.
The Guardian reports that a Whitehall source told the Press Association that officers believed the raids were an early disruption of what could have been a “significant plot.”
Security analysts have said that ISIS would likely seek to retaliate against the United Kingdom in response to British fighter planes joining the U.S. and Arab states in bombing raids on ISIS targets in Iraq (the United Kingdom is not taking part in attacks on ISIS targets in Syria).
The four men arrested were resident in Britain. One of the addresses was in west London, and the rest were in central London. Scotland Yard said: “One of the men aged 21 was Tasered during his arrest. He was not injured and did not require medical treatment.”
The Met said that officers from the counter-terrorism command — SO15 — “were assisted in the execution of warrants at one of the addresses by officers from the specialist firearms command (SCO19). No shots were fired.
“A number of residential addresses and vehicles are being searched by specialist officers in west and central London as part of the investigation. The searches are ongoing. These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist-related terrorism.”
The raids followed a pre-planned operation, with the men having been subject to close surveillance by counterterrorism investigators for some time.
The Guardian notes that in a joint meeting between SO15 and MI5 at an executive liaison group, the decision was made to disrupt any plot. Counterterrorism investigators said they had enough material to stage arrests, and there was concern that a delay in arresting the four may allow them to carry out their plan.
Experts note that a decision to disrupt a plot by suspects under tight surveillance is usually taken because it is believed there is too great a chance of an attack being staged.
Counterterror investigators in the police and MI5 have been dealing with an increasing workload as they assess and investigate potential threats from people with connections to several hotspots around the world.
The threat from ISIS extremists is the current major source of concern, but there remain worries about those with connections to violent extremists in Syria and al-Qaeda-linked groups there, as well as al-Shabaab in Somalia, and also al-Qaeda inspired terrorists with links to Pakistan.
