British terror threat risk level raised to 'severe', meaning attack is 'highly likely'

Armed police officers walk in front of the arrival gate at Heathrow airport, west of London on July 23, 2012. British Home Secretary Theresa May said on Friday the country's terror threat risk level was being raised to "severe", meaning an attac
Armed police officers walk in front of the arrival gate at Heathrow airport, west of London on July 23, 2012. British Home Secretary Theresa May said on Friday the country's terror threat risk level was being raised to "severe", meaning an attack is "highly likely". -- PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - British Home Secretary Theresa May said on Friday the country's terror threat risk level was being raised to "severe", meaning an attack is "highly likely".

"The increase in the threat level is related to developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West," Ms May 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 "severe" threat level means an attack is "highly likely", although Ms May added there was no intelligence to suggest that an attack was imminent.

The threat level is now at the second-highest level out of five possible categories and is at its highest since July 2011.

Prime Minister David Cameron was due to make a statement on the raising of the alert level at 1.45pm GMT.

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