Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

The British security services have raised the national terrorist threat level in the United Kingdom from “substantial” to “severe,” according to a statement issued by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, AzerNEWS reports.

The report states that the overall threat of terrorism across the country — including England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland — is now considered serious, meaning that an attack is highly likely.

The decision to increase the threat level followed the classification of an anti-Semitic knife attack in north London on April 29 as a terrorist incident.

According to reports, a man armed with a knife attacked two members of the Jewish community in a busy street area, causing panic among pedestrians. The suspect reportedly chased passers-by before being confronted. Members of a local Jewish security group managed to restrain him before police arrived. After his arrest, officers used a stun device to bring the situation under control.

Security officials emphasized that the swift response of both civilians and law enforcement likely prevented further casualties.

The development has renewed concerns about rising extremism and public safety in major European cities. Experts also point out that modern counter-terrorism efforts in the UK increasingly rely not only on intelligence services, but also on community-level vigilance and rapid communication between local security groups and police forces.