The British government announced on Tuesday March 28 that it had raised the terror threat in Northern Ireland from “considerable” to “severe”.
Northern Ireland on high alert. The UK Government announced on Tuesday 28th March that it had raised the terrorist threat in Northern Ireland from ‘serious’ to ‘serious’.
The British Minister for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, has clarified the meaning of this law in a written statement to Parliament. The latter assured that an attack was considered “very likely” and urged the public to remain “vigilant” without being “concerned”.
“Over the past 25 years Northern Ireland has transformed itself into a peaceful society” (…) however a small number of people remain determined to harm our people through politically motivated acts of violence”, full text.
A police officer attacked by two masked gunmen
With this decision, taken in consultation with MI5, the elected official underscored “the increase in terrorist activity”, referring to the recent attempted murder of a police officer.
On February 22, police officer John Caldwell was stowing footballs in his car after a training session with his son when he was attacked by two masked gunmen in Omagh. Despite being shot numerous times, he escaped death but is in critical, albeit stable, condition.
According to The Guardian, thirteen arrests have been made in connection with the attempted murder alleged by the New IRA splinter group. The same source added that the group was also behind an attempted assassination attempt on two police officers in Strabane last November.
The terrorist threat level has been raised to a year almost to the day after being lowered in the country for the first time in 12 years. This decision comes as US President Joe Biden travels to Ireland and Northern Ireland to celebrate the Belfast Accords. The latter was signed on April 10, 1998 and put an end to 31 years of bloody unrest between the two countries that claimed nearly 3,500 lives.