MI5 chief: Nine terror plots were foiled in past 12 months

The head of MI5 today revealed police foiled nine terror plots against Britain’s streets since the Westminster attack in March this year.

And 22 potentially deadly plans have been thwarted since Drummer Lee Rigby was murdered near his barracks in Woolwich in south London in May 2013. 

The revelations emerged after Andrew Parker briefed Theresa May’s Cabinet about the upsurge in the threat facing the UK at their weekly meeting at No10 today.

While Home Secretary Amber Rudd told MPs that Islamic State (IS) jihadis fleeing defeats in the Middle East are plotting attacks in the West.

Five terror attacks were carried out in in London and Manchester this year – killing dozens and injuring hundreds more.

Andrew Parker briefed Theresa May’s Cabinet about the terror threat facing the UK and how officers had stopped death and carnage coming to the country’s streets (file pic)

Home Secretary Amber Rudd updated MPs in the Commons today about the growing threat posed by Islamic State (IS) jihadis returning to the West having fled defeats in the Middle East

Home Secretary Amber Rudd updated MPs in the Commons today about the growing threat posed by Islamic State (IS) jihadis returning to the West having fled defeats in the Middle East

Ms Rudd told the Commons: ‘As the so-called Caliphate in Syria and Iraq has weakened, Daesh (IS) has increasingly turned its attention to encouraging people to launch attacks in their home countries.

‘Indeed there is simply more terrorist activity, partly inspired but also enabled, by terrorist propaganda and instructions videos online.

‘Plots are developing more quickly from radicalisation to attack and threats are becoming harder to detect partly due to the challenge of accessing communications that are end to end encrypted.’

She said MI5 and counter terrorism policing are currently running well over 500 operations – a third up since the beginning of the year – involving roughly 3,000 subjects of interest.’

Ms Rudd said there were another 20,000 subjects of interests who have previously been investigated and ‘may again pose a threat’.  

Drummer Lee Rigby was murdered near his barracks in Woolwich in south London in May 2013

Musician Dan Griffiths, 22, remembers his fallen comrade Drummer Lee Rigby a t his memorial in Woolwich a couple of month after he was murdered

Drummer Lee Rigby (pictured left) was murdered near his barracks in Woolwich in south London in May 2013, prompting a mass of tributes to be left outside his barracks. It was revealed today that there have been 22 foiled Islamist terror plots since he was killed 

Details about the upsurge in the terror threat came as a security review found that the Manchester bombing could have been stopped.

A eport by David Anderson QC revealed that security services had intelligence about Manchester bomber Salman Abedi in the months before his deadly attack.

The information would have caused an investigation into him to be opened ‘had its true significance been properly understood’, the review said. 

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mrs May thanked Mr Parker and MI5 for their ‘tireless work’ tackling terrorism after this morning’s update.

He said: ‘Cabinet ministers heard that while Daesh (also known as Islamic State) had suffered many defeats in Iraq and Syria this did not mean the threat is over.

‘Rather it has spread into new areas, including trying to encourage attacks in the UK and elsewhere via propaganda on social media.’ 

This morning’s briefing comes after Mr Parker used his annual ‘state of the union’ address in October to warn Britain is facing the biggest terror threat of his 34 year career.

He said extremists are mounting deadly terror attacks with just a few days of planning as the UK sees a ‘dramatic’ jump in the scale and pace of the threat.

People lay tributes at a vigil for the victims of the Manchester terror attack, which saw some 22 people - including many children -  killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Ariana grande concert in Manchester in May

People lay tributes at a vigil for the victims of the Manchester terror attack, which saw some 22 people – including many children –  killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Ariana grande concert in Manchester in May

Armed police surround terrorist Khalid Masood in parliament's New Palace Yard after he ploughed his car into pedestrians in nearby Westminster Bridge before leaping out and stabbing to death PC Keith Palmer Read

Armed police surround terrorist Khalid Masood in parliament’s New Palace Yard after he ploughed his car into pedestrians in nearby Westminster Bridge before leaping out and stabbing to death PC Keith Palmer Read

And he stressed that technology giants have an ‘ethical responsibility’ to crack down on extremists.

Five terror attacks have brought murder to the streets of Britain this year in a dramatic escalation of the threat facing the country.

Some 22 people – including many children – were killed when suicide bomber Salman Abedi blew himself up at an Ariana grande concert in Manchester in May.

Less than two weeks later three jihadis struck in London Bridge, killing eight people and injuring dozens more when their white van drove into pedestrians on a busy evening.

The killers then leapt out and stabbed passers by before being shot dead by police in just eight minutes.

The heart of government was attacked in March when Khalid Masood, 52, drove his car into pedestrians in Westminster Bridge before jumping out and stabbing PC Keith Palmer by Parliament’s gates.

While ten people were injured and one died after a man drove his van into Finsbury Park mosque in June. 

 



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