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Terror threat level in UK raised to “severe”
Home secretary Theresa May has said that the threat of international terror to the UK is “severe”; the fourth highest of five levels.
This means that a new terror attack in the country is “highly likely”. She added, however, that there was no intelligence to suggest that an attack would be imminent.
The increase in the level was in response to increasing tensions in Iraq and Syria, where extremist group the Islamic State has been gaining ground as it attempts to establish a religious state, or “caliphate”.
There are fears that hundreds of aspiring British jihadis are travelling to Iraq and Syria.
“The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West,” she said.
"Some of those plots are likely to involve foreign fighters who have travelled there from the UK and Europe to take part in those conflicts."
The threat level in the UK has been at the slightly lower level of “substantial” since July 2011.