Terrorism during Lockdown

As a result of the recent shooting in Vienna on Monday night the UK threat level has been upgraded from “substantial” to “severe”.

In addition, last week three others died in France as a result of a knife attack. While a school teacher was brutally murdered in Paris, security chiefs have openly stated that even though the country is at a high risk there isn’t any specific intelligence of an attack on the horizon. What do the threat levels mean?

• Low – a terrorist attack is highly unlikely to happen

• Moderate – a terrorist attack is possible but not expected

• Substantial – a terrorist attack is likely to happen

• Severe – a terrorist attack is highly likely to happen

• Critical – a terrorist attack is highly likely and is expected in the near future A home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani says, “While the threat level may feel vague to the public, what lies behind it is an assessment of available intelligence on known suspects targeting the UK and a wider analysis of how international events will play into their intentions."