TerrorismWhy the U.K.’s Terrorism Threat Level Has Been Raised and What Happens Now
Most parts of the UK are now living in a state of some form of lockdown. Meanwhile, however, more police are out on the streets. This is because in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Austria and France, the UK’s terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe.”
Most parts of the U.K. are now living in a state of some form of lockdown. Meanwhile, however, more police are out on the streets. This is because in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Austria and France, the U.K.’s terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe”.
In Vienna, a man reported to be a sympathizer of the proclaimed Islamic State group, opened fire with an automatic rifle in a city street, killing four and seriously injuring several more.
This came shortly after two other attacks in France. In Nice two people were killed and, in Paris, a teacher was targeted at the end of October. At the time of these attacks, the UK terrorism threat level was set at “substantial” – meaning that an attack was likely. The threat has been at this level since November 2019.
The timing of the attack in Vienna was significant. It was the night before Austria was due to go into a period of lockdown to manage the spread of COVID-19. It meant the city center would be busy as people enjoyed a final night out before restrictions came into force. Busy public spaces have been targets in multiple other attacks in recent years in France, Germany and the U.K.
Why Was the Threat Level Raised?
In response to these events in Vienna, Nice and Paris, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), part of MI5, upgraded the UK’s terrorism threat level to “severe”. The increased threat level came immediately in response to the Vienna terrorist attack, and indicates that an attack in the UK is considered highly likely.
The UK government has been keen to stress that despite the change in threat level, there was no specific intelligence to suggest that an attack on the U.K. or U.K. interests overseas was imminent. Home secretary Priti Patel has said people should be “alert but not alarmed” and that the increase in the country’s threat level was a “precautionary measure”.
Decisions on the terrorism threat level take into consideration a number of factors. These include what intelligence is available at the time and what security authorities already know about things like what resources terrorist suspects might have available and what motivations they might have for carrying out an attack, irrespective of ideology.
