SAS-trained guards sent to Costa del Sol

More than 100 ex-Special Forces troops were last night being rushed to Spain by tour operators as fears grew of an Islamic State terror attack on British holidaymakers.

The elite force will patrol beaches and hotel complexes disguised as tourists in a bid to prevent jihadis killing defenceless sun-seekers.

It is understood the dramatic move came after intelligence was received that the terror group intended to massacre UK tourists in a repeat of the 2015 attack in Tunisia, when 30 British holidaymakers died.

The Mail on Sunday understands that the threat is against tourists in mainland Spain, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

The hand-picked British security teams all have expertise and Special Forces experience in covert surveillance. Their role is to mingle among holidaymakers and spot terrorists before they strike. They have been equipped with special hidden cameras and will liaise directly with Spanish police, according to a source.

MADONNA PLANS CHARITY CONCERT 

Madonna said she hopes to headline gig at the Manchester Arena

Top pop stars have pledged to join Madonna for a Band Aid-style concert she is organising in the wake of the attack.

The 58-year-old will headline a free ‘healing’ gig and she hopes to stage it at the Manchester Arena – the scene of Monday night’s blast. 

Singer Ariana Grande, who was performing at the venue on Monday, has already pledged to return to the city for a benefit concert. 

Last night a security source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Spain has been singled out as a target by the jihadis, it is wide open to an attack now that security in the UK has been tightened.

‘This is a very secretive mission because tour operators don’t want to spread panic and reduce their business. The ex-troops will be looking out for any suspicious activity which might indicate that terrorists are planning an attack.

‘You don’t get a softer target than British tourists lying in the sun.’

The Mail on Sunday understands that, following the Manchester Arena attack on Monday night, a leading British private security company was approached by tour operators who wanted to hire teams of surveillance experts.

The security company then selected former soldiers based on their experience of undercover operations. They were offered £500 per day to fly to some of the most popular destinations for British tourists. These hot spots are expected to be packed with thousands of British families over the bank holiday weekend and during this week’s school half-term break.

The security teams, who are watching major hotels and beaches, have been given strict rules of engagement. A source said: ‘They must not intervene themselves. Instead they will be given points of contact in the Spanish police to report their findings to. Local police officers will make arrests.

‘The security teams won’t be armed either but they will be equipped with hidden cameras to record suspects. Using footage it might be possible to identify terrorists using facial recognition technology.’

The Mail on Sunday has been told that teams of up to 12 will watch three or four hotels and nearby beaches in a given area before moving to another location.

SUN, SEA AND GUNS IN BANK HOLIDAY BRITAIN YESTERDAY 

By Martin Beckford for the Mail on Sunday 

Armed police and soldiers were out in force across the UK again yesterday despite the terror level threat being downgraded from ‘critical’ to ‘severe’.

As the Bank Holiday weekend began, thousands of elite officers patrolled crowded places and iconic locations deemed to be the most likely targets for terrorists.

Heavily armed firearms officers mixed with holidaymakers on Blackpool beach, while football fans arriving at Wembley for the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Arsenal were greeted by the sight of police in armoured cars.

People soaking in the sun in Blackpool were joined by armed officers yesterday

Grenadier Guardsmen remained on duty in Downing Street so that armed police could be stationed elsewhere. Troops are being deployed under Operation Temperer, which is due to end tomorrow night.

Theresa May announced that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre had assessed that the terror threat was no longer at the highest level after a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee.

Intelligence services do not now believe an attack is imminent, after police identified the key players in the Manchester atrocity.

Security chiefs said they wanted the public to be reassured by the show of strength, not alarmed. 

Last night, British tourists in Benidorm had mixed feelings about the arrival of the elite surveillance teams. Martha Cowan, from Devon, said: ‘We definitely feel more on edge right now. I would wholeheartedly welcome more security here.’

But Jayne Dickinson, 37, from Sheffield, said: ‘Extra security would actually make me really nervous because I would suddenly think they knew something was about to happen.

‘My friend’s son was at the Ariana Grande concert so to be honest it’s been playing on my mind all week.’

Earlier this year, former Metropolitan Police counter-terror chief David Videcette warned that an attack on areas such as the Costa Brava and the Costa Del Sol was ‘very possible’. IS has also threatened to launch attacks in Spain in a series of propaganda videos.

Last night a Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘This is a decision for tour operators and hotel chains if they feel the need to improve their security. Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Spain.’

It is not clear which tour operators are behind the operation.

Two of the UK’s biggest, Thomas Cook and Thomson, told The Mail on Sunday they were not aware of the move.

Isolated communities cultivate extremism, writes Maajid Nawaz

 

The Manchester Islamic Centre frequented by suicide bomber Salman Abedi denounced last week’s attack, saying it ‘has no place in Islam’. 

While these sentiments are hard to fault, a closer look at the Didsbury mosque’s past preaching reveals a different picture. 

It has hosted speakers such as Abdullah Hakim Quick, Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, and Abu Eesa Niamatullah, all of whom hold anti-Semitic, homophobic and other worrying views. 

Hardline preacher Niamatullah has questioned whether people should put their nation and fellow Britons above Islam. 

He also exclaimed: ‘They [Jews] blow up babies as if it’s a computer game. 

‘They have no humanity, no morality, no ethics, no deen [religion], no guidance, no light, nothing.’ 

He also insisted: ‘Women should not be in the workplace whatsoever.’ 

The effect this kind of messaging can have on disenfranchised, angry young Muslims can be devastating. 

And I should know. After joining the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, I was imprisoned in Egypt for five years until 2006. 

My change of heart, after reading and interacting with Amnesty International, was gradual but absolute. 

I renounced my past to call for a secular Islam – which also cost me my marriage. I’ve also seen first-hand, in my teenage years as an Islamist recruiter, how damaging segregation can be. 

I’ve met Muslims who were born and raised in this country but for whom English is their second, barely literate, language. 

News is gleaned mainly from the ‘digital ghetto’ of Muslim community media. Why should this matter? 

Because isolated communities like this are creating the conditions that cultivate extremism. 

To understand how deep the rot has set, we need to look at the root of the problem in these groups and reserve our real vitriol for those who espouse extremist rhetoric.

Reporting individuals such as Salman Abedi is important, but how much praise does anyone really deserve for opposing an IS jihadi? 

Even Al Qaeda fights IS. This sets a very low bar. Counter-terrorism must not be confused with countering the extremism that breeds it. And here is where the real work lies.