Britain's government has raised the country's terror threat level to "severe," Home Secretary Theresa May said Friday. It's the fourth-highest of five potential threat levels. According to the U.K. government, it means an attack is "highly likely." But there is no intelligence to suggest an attack is imminent.
May said the threat level was raised in general because of the deteriorating situation in Iraq and Syria, where extremist militants from the group calling itself the Islamic State (also ISIS or ISIL). May said, however, that there was no specific threat to Britain that caused the raise in the terror level.
"The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West. Some of these plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have travelled there from the UK and Europe to take part in those conflicts," May said.
"The first and most important duty of government is the protection of the British people. We have already taken steps to amend our powers and increase our capabilities for dealing with the developing terrorist threats we face. That process will continue and the British public should be in no doubt that we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security."
Prime Minister David Cameron is making a statement on the increase in the terror threat level at 9:45 a.m. ET.
This is the first time Britain's terror threat level has been raised since January 2010, when it was ticked up from "substantial" to "severe." It was subsequently lowered in July 2011.
The West — particularly the U.S. and U.K. — have increased their warnings about ISIS in the wake of the group's brutal murder of American journalist James Foley last week. A 23-year-old former British rapper is considered a prime suspect in Foley's beheading.
At least 400 people from Britain have traveled to Middle Eastern regions to join ISIS, according to Prime Minister David Cameron. Western officials have warned about the possibility of ISIS fighters holding Western countries' passports traveling back to those countries to plan and possibly launch attacks.
UK TERROR THREAT LEVEL 'SEVERE' - Business Insider
May said the threat level was raised in general because of the deteriorating situation in Iraq and Syria, where extremist militants from the group calling itself the Islamic State (also ISIS or ISIL). May said, however, that there was no specific threat to Britain that caused the raise in the terror level.
"The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West. Some of these plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have travelled there from the UK and Europe to take part in those conflicts," May said.
"The first and most important duty of government is the protection of the British people. We have already taken steps to amend our powers and increase our capabilities for dealing with the developing terrorist threats we face. That process will continue and the British public should be in no doubt that we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security."
Prime Minister David Cameron is making a statement on the increase in the terror threat level at 9:45 a.m. ET.
This is the first time Britain's terror threat level has been raised since January 2010, when it was ticked up from "substantial" to "severe." It was subsequently lowered in July 2011.
The West — particularly the U.S. and U.K. — have increased their warnings about ISIS in the wake of the group's brutal murder of American journalist James Foley last week. A 23-year-old former British rapper is considered a prime suspect in Foley's beheading.
At least 400 people from Britain have traveled to Middle Eastern regions to join ISIS, according to Prime Minister David Cameron. Western officials have warned about the possibility of ISIS fighters holding Western countries' passports traveling back to those countries to plan and possibly launch attacks.
UK TERROR THREAT LEVEL 'SEVERE' - Business Insider
