Prime Minister Theresa May said the United Kingdom terror threat has been lowered to “severe” from “critical” following a number of arrests related to the terrorist attack in Manchester, and the police released a photo of the suspected suicide bomber in calling for the public’s help.
May led a meeting of the government’s emergency committee last Saturday, during which she received an update from the police and security services on the investigation into the suicide bombing at a pop concert last May 22 that killed 22 people. In response, the threat level had been raised to the highest category a day later.
“The public should be clear about what this means,” May said in a televised statement. “A threat level of severe means an attack is highly likely. Members of the public should remain vigilant.”
The Manchester attack—the deadliest on British soil in more than a decade—prompted the government to raise the terror threat for the first time in 10 years. With less than two weeks before the June 8 general election, political campaigning was put on hold until Friday.
Operation Temperer—the UK’s deployment of as many as 5,000 troops to guard key sites—will remain in place until the end of the weekend, including Monday’s public holiday.
Police activity in the past 24 hours was “significant”, and Manchester police have 11 people in custody, prompting intelligence analysts to change the threat level to indicate an attack now is highly likely, rather than imminent, May said.
The police have gathered “significant information” in the past five days about the suspected suicide bomber, 22-year-old Salman Abedi, and 14 locations are still being searched in connection with the attack, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said in an e-mailed statement.
The police released a closed-circuit TV photo of Abedi on his way to Manchester Arena, where pop star Ariana Grande was performing.
Hopkins called on members of the public to help reconstruct Abedi’s final movements, asking anyone with information about his whereabouts from May 18 through to the night of May 22 to get in touch.
May said her government would set up a commission to combat nonviolent extremism and promote “pluralistic” British values and women’s rights, as the fight against terrorism becomes a focus of the election campaign.
The proposed Commission for Countering Extremism, introduced in the Conservative manifesto earlier this month, would have legal status and advise the government on what laws or penalties are needed, according to a statement released by her office.
“Our enjoyment of Britain’s diversity must not prevent us from confronting the menace of extremism, even if that is sometimes embarrassing or difficult to do,” May said in a statement. “Enough is enough. We need to be stronger and more resolute in standing up to these people.”
With less than two weeks to go before the election, and after a three-day pause following the Manchester attack, terrorism and its prevention have become the focus of the campaigns.
Image credits: Bloomberg