British security services foil Islamist terror plot to assassinate PM Theresa May

London, December 6: Islamic Terrorism has killed hundreds of civilians in the United Kingdom but now they have become threats even to the Prime Minister Theresa May. Notably, the British security services on Tuesday foiled a terror plot which was meant to assassinate Prime Minister of United Kingdom (UK) Theresa May.

 

The British security services including intelligence agency MI5, Scotland police and other agencies arrested two men who were allegedly plotting to use a bomb disguised as a bag to blow off the gates of Downing Street and then attack PM Theresa May with knives.

A 20-year-old Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman from north London and Mohammed Aqib Imran from Birmingham were arrested as a suspect who was allegedly plotting a terror attack to assassinate PM Theresa May. The two suspects were charged with preparing a terrorist act and would be produced in Court on Wednesday.

The plot was revealed to the Cabinet by Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, who also told ministers that security services have foiled nine terrorist attacks on the UK in the last year. But several attackers have still got through.

Interestingly, Prime ministers have long been terrorist targets, though Downing Street is now well protected by fortified gates and armed police officers. Security measures were introduced in the 1970s but were increased in the 1980s as the threat from Irish republican groups grew. In 1991 the IRA launched a home-made mortar bomb attack on Number 10. The device landed in the back garden. The then prime minister, John Major, was inside but was not hurt.

This year saw four terror attacks in England:

• In March, Khalid Masood, 52, drove a 4WD into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge then fatally stabbed a police officer guarding parliament, leaving 6 dead including the attacker.
• In May, 22-year-old British-born Salman Abedi set off a home-made bomb in the foyer of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people as well as himself.
• In early June, three men led by 27-year-old Khuram Butt drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge, killing two people, then ran through Borough Market killing six more people before armed police shot them down. 45 people required hospital treatment.
• Later in June, 47-year-old Darren Osborne drove a van into a crowd of worshippers outside the Finsbury Park mosque. One man died, and Osborne has been charged with murder.