Islamist Terror Threat to Remain for Years to Come, Could Increase – UK Official

The UK was hit with a number of terrorist attacks throughout 2017, with the cities of London and Manchester successfully targeted by Islamist militants. Numerous other terror plots were thwarted by domestic intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism police across the UK.

An anonymous official told British media that the current threat level of Islamist terrorism will remain for at least another two years, and could potentially rise.

"We expect the threat from Islamist terrorism to remain at its current heightened level for at least two years and it might increase further," a senior Whitehall official warned on Wednesday.

The comments were made ahead of the British government’s National Security Review, which will be published later today.

The official attributed the potential rise in the number of terror attacks on British soil to the territorial and structural demise of the *Daesh terror group. Other terrorist organizations, including a number of Al-Qaeda affiliates, also continue to pose a threat to the UK’s national security.

Speaking about the UK’s new “Fusion Doctrine” counter-terrorism initiative, Security Minister Ben Wallace warned that the threat facing the UK would not be going away in the near future.

"There's no quick fix to it and, in the 21st Century, threats to Britain's national security can be prosecuted through unconventional means as well as through conventional means. We don't think that any time soon this is going to disappear and that's why we need to make sure we bring together the other parts of government to tackle this threat head on," the minister told British media.

He went on to announce new counter-terrorism legislation which will come into effect over the next few months. The package of legislation will include harsher penalties and longer sentences to deter would-be terrorists.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke about the new approach to tackling and provided more information about the “Fusion Doctrine.”

"Based on the new Fusion Doctrine, this approach will ensure that in defending our national security we make better use of all of our capabilities: from economic levers, through cutting-edge military resources to our wider diplomatic and cultural influence on the world's stage. Every part of our government and every one of our agencies has its part to play,” PM May Said.

Although Brits returning from various terror groups in the Middle East and North Africa are most likely to carry out attacks on UK soil, there is also a large threat from homegrown extremists, who can easily be radicalized and obtain bomb-making guides online.

READ MORE: Report into Manchester Bombing is Released Giving Out Praise and Criticism

Terror attacks which require little resources, perhaps just a kitchen knife or vehicle, are particularly troubling for law enforcement agencies, as these plots are difficult to identify and prevent.

*Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia