MOSCOW, November 1 (RIA Novosti) — British nationals have been warned by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to take caution while traveling as they could be targets to terror attacks, following the country's participation in the US-led fight against Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq.
“There is considered to be a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time,” the FCO stated in its updated travel guide on Friday.
This worldwide warning follows the severe domestic terror threat issued in August by the UK government, in fear that British jihadist fighters who joined the IS could launch attacks in the country.
According to a report by the Telegraph, about 500 Britons have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join the militant group. Alongside these numbers, several suspects have been arrested in the United Kingdom, most of them in their teenage years and early twenties.
The United States has been carrying out airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq since August. In September, joined by the United Kingdom and other countries, the US-led coalition started conducting attacks against the IS in Syria as well.
The IS has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories that had fallen under its control. Notoriously known for its extreme violence, the IS also released videos showing the executions of US and UK citizens.
