Britain is on high alert for suicide bombings by sleepers
Nov 24, 2015 23:18:13 GMT -5
Post by J.J.Gibbs on Nov 24, 2015 23:18:13 GMT -5
Britain on RED ALERT: UK jihadis HELPED make suicide vests worn by Paris attackers
James Fielding and Camilla Tominey, exclusive
Britain is on high alert for suicide bombings by sleepers
MI5 has intercepted internet “chatter” between the terrorists who brought carnage to the French capital, British militants and Islamic State commanders in Syria.
They suspect the explosive vests, loaded with hundreds of ball bearings and described by French authorities as the most sophisticated they have seen, were constructed using UK technical know-how.
Details of the British links come as concerns grow that sleeper cells are already in place here and it is a case of when, not if, they strike.
All Army and police bomb disposal teams in the UK have been placed on high alert as a result.
The Army Reserve, formally the Territorial Army, is also on standby to help police, while the royal family have been warned to travel in bulletproof cars while security has been bolstered at ports.
British spies believe Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Belgian mastermind behind the Paris attacks who was killed by police last week, worked closely with terrorists from London, Birmingham and Bradford while in Syria.
Related articles
IS militants from the UK are thought to have had a hand in either making the explosive vests or supplying plans on how to do so to European terror cells.
The vests worn by the seven Paris attackers were packed tightly with ball bearings of various sizes and were designed to “maim and shred” anyone within 30 yards of the blast.
A senior intelligence source said that terrorists appeared to be using an active service unit model to attack. They are self-contained and restrict communications to an absolute minimum while choosing their own targets.
The senior source said last night: “There is now a real expectation that the UK will be hit by terrorists. We know it’s coming. It may not be on the same scale as the attack in France but we will be attacked.
“There are simply too many extremists in this country who want to attack the State. They want to kill British people. Right now they are making their own bombs and they are trying to obtain automatic weapons.
“They have been trained in Pakistan, Iraq and Syria and they are very dangerous and very determined.
mi5GETTY
MI5 has intercepted internet talk between the terrorists who brought carnage to Paris
vestGETTY
IS militants from the UK have supplied or helped make explosive vests to European terror cells
There is now a real expectation that the UK will be hit by terrorists. We know it’s coming
A senior intelligence source
“The security service will be able to stop some, possibly most, but they can’t stop them all.”
Eavesdroppers at GCHQ, Britain’s covert listening agency, discovered a “spike” in UK internet chatter during and immediately after the massacre in France.
They are now sifting through months of covert communications to see if the Paris gang had met with any British terror suspects over the last three years.
Police are investigating whether Londoner Aine Davis, who was arrested in Istanbul, had been in contact with those responsible for the slaughter of 130 people in Paris.
The worry is that sleeper cells, like the ones that struck in London on July 7, 2005, are hiding in the UK and awaiting orders from Syria to hit targets here.
Around 450 Britons have returned home from the Middle East and IS has ordered jihadis in this country to no longer risk travelling abroad but to stay put.
According to another well-placed intelligence source the Paris attacks took months of planning.
armed policeGETTY
Officials have identified the ideal landing spot for terrorists in Kent
The official said: “Everyone involved was a dedicated terrorist who had been trained to kill. “There were three terrorist teams each with their own targets acting independently. It must be assumed that other terrorist active service units will attempt to carry out similar attacks in Britain and the US given the role they are playing in Iraq and Syria.”
Yesterday, armed police were on standby at Premier League football games around the country. The Army’s 12 counter improvised explosive device teams have now been put on alert, as have the police bomb disposal teams in major cities.
Soldiers from the Army Reserve have also been told to expect to take over more standard police activities if officers are diverted to deal with a terror attack.
With the Christmas season approaching, the royal family has been urged to take extra precautions during their festive duties.
Former head of royal protection Dai Davies said: “When it comes to the royals, the main areas of weakness are often when they’re travelling from A to B.
“Given the threat level is very high, then really royals should be travelling in protected vehicles.”
Border security experts have identified a stretch of coastline near Deal in Kent as an ideal nighttime landing place for terrorists using inflatable boats powered by outboard engines.
Kent Police are currently trialling a drone to conduct covert surveillance work and want to use it over coastal towns to check on suspicious people.
UK Border Force cutters – used mainly to hunt drug smugglers – could now be used to stop terrorists sneaking weapons into Britain from France via the Channel.
The increasing threat facing the country has made security officials extra jumpy. Bluewater shopping centre in Kent was evacuated yesterday after a small electrical fire broke out in a cupboard.
The all-clear was given soon afterwards. Baker Street tube station in central London was evacuated on Thursday evening following reports that a car had been abandoned outside containing a suspicious package.
Hundreds of commuters were caught up in the chaos, which later on was found to be a false alarm. Police were then called to Enfield, north London, the following morning to reports of an abandoned briefcase outside a cafe in the town centre.
Officers sealed off the high street. Scotland Yard confirmed a controlled explosion had taken place. But officers were later “stood down” as it was found not to have been a bomb.
link
James Fielding and Camilla Tominey, exclusive
Britain is on high alert for suicide bombings by sleepers
MI5 has intercepted internet “chatter” between the terrorists who brought carnage to the French capital, British militants and Islamic State commanders in Syria.
They suspect the explosive vests, loaded with hundreds of ball bearings and described by French authorities as the most sophisticated they have seen, were constructed using UK technical know-how.
Details of the British links come as concerns grow that sleeper cells are already in place here and it is a case of when, not if, they strike.
All Army and police bomb disposal teams in the UK have been placed on high alert as a result.
The Army Reserve, formally the Territorial Army, is also on standby to help police, while the royal family have been warned to travel in bulletproof cars while security has been bolstered at ports.
British spies believe Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Belgian mastermind behind the Paris attacks who was killed by police last week, worked closely with terrorists from London, Birmingham and Bradford while in Syria.
Related articles
IS militants from the UK are thought to have had a hand in either making the explosive vests or supplying plans on how to do so to European terror cells.
The vests worn by the seven Paris attackers were packed tightly with ball bearings of various sizes and were designed to “maim and shred” anyone within 30 yards of the blast.
A senior intelligence source said that terrorists appeared to be using an active service unit model to attack. They are self-contained and restrict communications to an absolute minimum while choosing their own targets.
The senior source said last night: “There is now a real expectation that the UK will be hit by terrorists. We know it’s coming. It may not be on the same scale as the attack in France but we will be attacked.
“There are simply too many extremists in this country who want to attack the State. They want to kill British people. Right now they are making their own bombs and they are trying to obtain automatic weapons.
“They have been trained in Pakistan, Iraq and Syria and they are very dangerous and very determined.
mi5GETTY
MI5 has intercepted internet talk between the terrorists who brought carnage to Paris
vestGETTY
IS militants from the UK have supplied or helped make explosive vests to European terror cells
There is now a real expectation that the UK will be hit by terrorists. We know it’s coming
A senior intelligence source
“The security service will be able to stop some, possibly most, but they can’t stop them all.”
Eavesdroppers at GCHQ, Britain’s covert listening agency, discovered a “spike” in UK internet chatter during and immediately after the massacre in France.
They are now sifting through months of covert communications to see if the Paris gang had met with any British terror suspects over the last three years.
Police are investigating whether Londoner Aine Davis, who was arrested in Istanbul, had been in contact with those responsible for the slaughter of 130 people in Paris.
The worry is that sleeper cells, like the ones that struck in London on July 7, 2005, are hiding in the UK and awaiting orders from Syria to hit targets here.
Around 450 Britons have returned home from the Middle East and IS has ordered jihadis in this country to no longer risk travelling abroad but to stay put.
According to another well-placed intelligence source the Paris attacks took months of planning.
armed policeGETTY
Officials have identified the ideal landing spot for terrorists in Kent
The official said: “Everyone involved was a dedicated terrorist who had been trained to kill. “There were three terrorist teams each with their own targets acting independently. It must be assumed that other terrorist active service units will attempt to carry out similar attacks in Britain and the US given the role they are playing in Iraq and Syria.”
Yesterday, armed police were on standby at Premier League football games around the country. The Army’s 12 counter improvised explosive device teams have now been put on alert, as have the police bomb disposal teams in major cities.
Soldiers from the Army Reserve have also been told to expect to take over more standard police activities if officers are diverted to deal with a terror attack.
With the Christmas season approaching, the royal family has been urged to take extra precautions during their festive duties.
Former head of royal protection Dai Davies said: “When it comes to the royals, the main areas of weakness are often when they’re travelling from A to B.
“Given the threat level is very high, then really royals should be travelling in protected vehicles.”
Border security experts have identified a stretch of coastline near Deal in Kent as an ideal nighttime landing place for terrorists using inflatable boats powered by outboard engines.
Kent Police are currently trialling a drone to conduct covert surveillance work and want to use it over coastal towns to check on suspicious people.
UK Border Force cutters – used mainly to hunt drug smugglers – could now be used to stop terrorists sneaking weapons into Britain from France via the Channel.
The increasing threat facing the country has made security officials extra jumpy. Bluewater shopping centre in Kent was evacuated yesterday after a small electrical fire broke out in a cupboard.
The all-clear was given soon afterwards. Baker Street tube station in central London was evacuated on Thursday evening following reports that a car had been abandoned outside containing a suspicious package.
Hundreds of commuters were caught up in the chaos, which later on was found to be a false alarm. Police were then called to Enfield, north London, the following morning to reports of an abandoned briefcase outside a cafe in the town centre.
Officers sealed off the high street. Scotland Yard confirmed a controlled explosion had taken place. But officers were later “stood down” as it was found not to have been a bomb.
link
