UK terror threat level raised to ‘severe’ after antisemitic stabbing

The UK’s terror threat level has been raised from “substantial” to “severe”, which means an attack is highly likely, after the antisemitic stabbings in north-west London.

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), an intelligence body linked to the UK’s security service that assesses the country’s terrorist threats, said the upgrade on Thursday was not solely based on terror attack in Golders Green a day earlier.

It said the threat had been rising for some time, driven by a rise in broader Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threats from individuals and small groups based in the UK.

“Today, the national threat level has increased to ‘severe’, which means a terrorist attack is considered highly likely,” said UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

“I know this will be a source of concern to many, particularly amongst our Jewish community, who have suffered so much.

“The government has today announced a significant increase in investment to protect our Jewish communities, with record funding for policing and security at synagogues, schools and community centres. And we will do everything in our power to rid society of the evil of antisemitism,” she said.

The terror threat level had been at substantial, which means an attack was likely, but has now been raised further. Severe is one level lower than the highest in the five-point scale, where “critical” signifies that a terror attack is “highly likely in the near future”.

“As the threat level rises, I urge everyone to be vigilant, as they go about their daily lives, and report any concerns they have to the police,” Mahmood added.

It came after two Jewish men, aged 76 and 34, were stabbed on the street. A 45-year-old Somalia-born British male suspect remains in custody following his arrest at the scene.