Pope assassination plot foiled by UK intelligence

A plot to assassinate Pope Francis during a trip to Iraq was stopped following a tip-off from British intelligence, according to his upcoming autobiography. The Pope writes that, after landing in Baghdad in March 2021, he was told an event Read More …

Britain gets new elite counter terror troops to support police and MI5

Military chiefs have formed a new domestic counter-terror unit to offset pressure on Britain’s Special Forces. Razor Squadron is the first new special operations team to be established since the creation of the Special Forces Support Group at the start Read More …

Northern Ireland: MI5 raises terror threat to ‘severe’ – meaning attack highly likely

The terror threat level in Northern Ireland has increased from “substantial” to “severe” meaning an attack is highly likely, the government has said. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris told the House of Commons the decision was made by MI5, independent Read More …

MI5 received TWO separate warnings Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was buying dangerous chemicals months before attack – but didn’t act in time

MI5 chiefs failed to act on two separate warnings that the Manchester Arena attacker was buying bomb-making ingredients in the months before the outrage. The Mail on Sunday has learned that the agency received two ‘pieces of intelligence’ about the purchase Read More …

Manchester Arena attack: Security services might have prevented Manchester Arena bombing

The security services were guilty of “a significant missed opportunity to take action that might have prevented” the Manchester Arena bombing, according to the chairman of the inquiry into the atrocity. A report published by former high court judge Sir Read More …

UK: Police anti-terror IT system was ‘not fit for purpose’ – former officer

A key intelligence database used by police to investigate extremists was “not fit for purpose” when introduced in 2014, a former counter-terrorism officer has told the BBC. The officer, who retired in 2018, says the National Common Intelligence Application (NCIA) Read More …

Northern Ireland terrorism threat level lowered for first time in 12 years

The terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland has been lowered from “severe” to “substantial” for the first time in 12 years after what the government described as significant continuous progress with peace. The Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, announced the Read More …

Afghanistan is becoming a breeding ground for jihadis again just months after the West’s withdrawal

Afghanistan is again becoming a breeding ground for terror, with British extremists already trying to travel there, the head of MI5 has warned. Ken McCallum said he is concerned about ‘terrorist infrastructure and networks reconstituting’ in the troubled country just Read More …

UK: MI5 had intelligence Manchester Arena bomber posed threat, inquiry told

MI5 had enough intelligence to regard Salman Abedi as a threat to national security and open an investigation before he bombed the Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds of others, an inquiry has heard. The Security Service was Read More …

Inside foiled terror plot: Up to 18 suicide bombers hoped to detonate bottle bombs on seven planes at 30,000ft

A former CIA officer claims Scotland Yard wanted to allow jihadists plotting Britain’s worst-ever terror attack to board jumbo jets with their bombs. Met chiefs “wanted to play to the very edge” as they built a case against fanatics who Read More …