11 May 2016•Update: 12 May 2016
LONDON
The U.K.’s domestic security service MI5 has raised its threat level for an Irish republican-related terrorist attack in Britain for the first time in nearly four years.
Home Secretary Theresa May said on Wednesday the threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Britain had been raised by MI5 to ‘substantial’, meaning an attack is a strong possibility.
May said it “reflects the continuing threat from dissident republican activity”, the BBC reported.
Terror threat levels in the U.K. are used by agencies and the police to determine the level of security they should provide to public buildings and important figures.
The threat level had been ‘moderate’ – meaning an attack was regarded as possible but not likely – since July 2012.
There have been a series of killings since September in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland linked to gang activity, although groups connected to various republican factions have claimed responsibility for a number of these.
On May 5 police in Northern Ireland used counter-terrorism laws to arrest 14 men at the funeral of a dissident Irish republican shot dead in Dublin last month.
MI5’s threat level for IRA-related terrorism within Ireland has been at ‘severe’ since 2010.
