UK Raises National Terror Threat Level to “Severe”

The United Kingdom’s Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has raised the assessment level of the national terror threat.

Until now, the level had been the third highest of five, but it has been raised to the second highest level, “SEVERE.” The threat level for Northern Ireland remains unchanged.

The decision follows incidents including a stabbing attack on pedestrians on April 29 in Golders Green in north London. Golders Green is known as a relatively safe area with a significant Jewish community and many Japanese residents. According to Reuters, the perpetrator, a 45-year-old man, has been arrested.

The terror threat level had been on an upward trend against the backdrop of growing threats from Islamist extremists and far-right extremists acting alone or in small groups. The UK government has announced that it will allocate a record amount of funding for security at schools and other facilities to protect Jewish communities.

In the UK, the threat level was raised to “Severe” in November 2021 following a taxi explosion at a women’s hospital in Liverpool and the killing of MP David Amess, but it was lowered again in February 2022.