Rabat – Following Monday night’s terrorist bombing at the Manchester Arena, which claimed the lives of 22 people and injured 59, Britain’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, has announced that the terror level has been raised from “severe” to “critical.”
In a statement delivered by the Prime Minister herself, May explained that “This means… not only that an attack remains highly likely but that a further attack may be imminent.”
May added that “It’s a possibility we can’t ignore, that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack.”
“Critical” is the highest level on Britain’s terror alert scale. It means that military personnel can be deployed to replace regular law enforcement officers.
May confirmed that the plan is to replace police officers in key locations throughout Britain with member of the military, trained in anti-terrorism. These military personnel would fall under the command of police.
Such deployments “will allow the police to significantly increase the number of armed officers on patrol in key locations,” May explained. The Prime Minister added that government officials are considering the deployment of military personnel to concert venues and sporting events, in light of the new terror threat.
Witnesses to Monday’s attack, following the end of an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, have spoked of meagre security procedures at the venue leading up to the concert. Some surviving concert goers have reported there was almost no security screening before the concert started.
Adding their voices to the list of leaders condemning the attack is a group of former world heads known as The Elders. Leading their membership is former U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who urged the world to stand firmly together in the face of such “extremists and terrorists.”
In a statement issued by the group, Annan, said it’s “tragic that young people who have gone to listen to music and dance should be cut down so brutally and senselessly.”
He added that “Terrorists have been around, but they’ve always lost, and they will lose this time, too. It may take time, but they will lose.”
