United Kingdom reduces threat level from critical to severe: PM Theresa May

Armed police officers walk along the aisle of a train at Milton Keynes station Britain
REUTERS Neil HallUK Intelligence Identified 23,000 Potential Jihadist Terrorists in Country
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29 May, 2017

The UK terror threat level has been reduced from critical, back to severe, the Prime Minister announced on Saturday.

"In the light of the developments, the independent joint terrorism analysis centre has this morning taken the decision to reduce the threat level from critical to severe".

"This is due to the fact that the government of Great Britain has raised the level of the terrorist threat in the country to the maximum possible", it said.

Detectives are questioning 11 men over the attack after a series of raids.

British police say they are evacuating residents around a house being searched in connection with the Manchester concert bombing.

She said significant activity by the police during the last 24 hours had led to the threat being reduced.

Now 11 people remain in police custody after a raid on an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester saw a 20-year-old and a 22-year-old detained on suspicion of terror offences. "The country should remain vigilant".

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins hailed "significant progress" in the investigation, following disclosures that "key players" allegedly connected to the attack had been arrested.

Manchester police identified the attacker as Salman Abedi, who was killed in the explosion.

Abedi was known to United Kingdom security services, but his risk to the public remained "subject to review", according to reports.

At the start of the bank holiday weekend, armed police are guarding hundreds of events across the country.

Security is being increased at football cup finals at Wembley Stadium in London and the Great Manchester Run.

Operation Temperer, which allows the military to be deployed to key sites, will continue until the end of the bank holiday, Theresa May said.

This is published unedited from the PTI feed.


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