UK terrorism threat level raised to SEVERE
Following yesterday’s incident in Liverpool, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has today (15 November) taken the decision to raise the UK National Threat Level from SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is likely, to SEVERE, meaning an attack is highly likely.
The decision has been driven by two terrorist incidents in the past month, reflecting the diverse, complex and volatile nature of the terrorist threat in the UK.
Yesterday morning, police, fire and ambulance crews, as well as a bomb disposal unit, were dispatched to Liverpool Women’s Hospital after receiving reports of an explosion.
One man has died as a result of the taxi blast and another man was taken to hospital with injuries that Merseyside Police said were not believed to be life threatening.
Police have today confirmed that they are treating the explosion as a “terrorist incident”.
On 15 October 2021, MP David Amess was stabbed multiple times at his constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church Hall in Leigh-on-Sea.
He was treated at the scene, but died from his injuries.
Amess’s killing was later declared a “terrorist incident” by the Metropolitan Police.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Following yesterday’s shocking incident in Liverpool, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has raised the UK Threat Level to SEVERE.”
“It is important that the public remains alert to the threat from terrorism but not alarmed. I urge anyone with information or who suspects any suspicious activity to report it to the police.”
“Threat levels are determined independently of Ministers and are a tool for security practitioners, including the police, to use in determining what protective security response may be required.”
The UK was last at SEVERE in November 2020 before being lowered to SUBSTANTIAL in February 2021.
What are Threat Levels?
Members of the public should always remain alert to the danger of terrorism and report any suspicious activity to the police on 999 or the anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321. If your information does not relate to an imminent threat.
What the threat levels mean
Threat levels are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack.
- LOW means an attack is highly unlikely
- MODERATE means an attack is possible, but not likely
- SUBSTANTIAL means an attack is likely
- SEVERE means an attack is highly likely
- CRITICAL means an attack is highly likely in the near future
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