UK Raises Security Threat Alert After London Anti-Semitic Terror Attack
Following a knife attack on two Jewish men in London, classified as a terrorist incident, the UK government has raised the national security threat alert to "severe." This reflects a continuous rise in threats from Islamist extremists and far-right groups. The government will invest an additional £25 million to enhance security for the Jewish community.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 04:48
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 05:01 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 07:03 (2h 1m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chen Yun-yu, London, 30th) Following a knife attack on two Jewish men in London on the 29th, which police have classified as a terrorist incident, the British government today further raised the security threat alert across the UK. The latest terror alert level is "severe," which is the second highest level, surpassed only by "critical."
The UK Home Office stated that this means a terror attack is "highly likely" to occur within the next six months.
Before today's alert increase, the UK's terror alert level was "substantial," meaning a terror attack was "likely" to occur. The upgrade from "substantial" to "severe" represents a one-level increase in the alert.
The Home Office pointed out that the terror incident on the 29th was not the sole reason for raising the national alert level. In fact, the terror threat within the UK has been continuously rising for some time, stemming from radical Islamism and far-right propaganda, as well as violent attacks (including arson) related to and supported by specific countries.
Home Office information shows that the last time the UK announced an increase in the terror alert level to "severe" was in November 2021, after a hospital bomb attack in Liverpool and the assassination of a Member of Parliament. The perpetrators of these two cases were an asylum seeker whose application was rejected and a radical Islamist, respectively. The UK's terror alert level was only lowered and restored to "substantial" in February 2022.
According to London police information, the 45-year-old British man of Somali origin who stabbed two Jewish men in London on the 29th had been on the observation list of the UK's multi-agency counter-terrorism prevention program in 2020 but was later declared "case closed." Police confirmed that the man has a history of severe violence and mental illness.
On the day of the incident, the Somali-born British man attempted to attack responding officers with a knife, but fortunately, no officers were injured. After being subdued and arrested, the man is currently still in police custody. The injured 34-year-old and 76-year-old Jewish men are still receiving treatment in the hospital and are in stable condition.
Police continue their investigation, including whether the suspect was involved in another knife attack that occurred earlier the same day in another part of London. At that time, he had fled before police arrived within six minutes of receiving the report.
Against the backdrop of intensified military conflicts and international political maneuvering in the Middle East over the past three years, several anti-Semitic violent attacks have recently occurred in the UK, particularly in the religiously and ethnically diverse Greater London area.
The British government today announced strengthened security protection for the Jewish community, including an additional £25 million (nearly NT$1.1 billion) investment to enhance community patrol policing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had earlier today convened an emergency cabinet meeting and visited the community where the incident occurred on the 29th to express condolences to security watch and emergency response volunteers. (Editor: Yang Chao-yen) 1150501
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(Central News Agency reporter Chen Yun-yu, London, 30th) Following a knife attack on two Jewish men in London on the 29th, which police have classified as a terrorist incident, the British government today further raised the security threat alert across the UK. The latest terror alert level is "severe," which is the second highest level, surpassed only by "critical."
The UK Home Office stated that this means a terror attack is "highly likely" to occur within the next six months.
Before today's alert increase, the UK's terror alert level was "substantial," meaning a terror attack was "likely" to occur. The upgrade from "substantial" to "severe" represents a one-level increase in the alert.
The Home Office pointed out that the terror incident on the 29th was not the sole reason for raising the national alert level. In fact, the terror threat within the UK has been continuously rising for some time, stemming from radical Islamism and far-right propaganda, as well as violent attacks (including arson) related to and supported by specific countries.
Home Office information shows that the last time the UK announced an increase in the terror alert level to "severe" was in November 2021, after a hospital bomb attack in Liverpool and the assassination of a Member of Parliament. The perpetrators of these two cases were an asylum seeker whose application was rejected and a radical Islamist, respectively. The UK's terror alert level was only lowered and restored to "substantial" in February 2022.
According to London police information, the 45-year-old British man of Somali origin who stabbed two Jewish men in London on the 29th had been on the observation list of the UK's multi-agency counter-terrorism prevention program in 2020 but was later declared "case closed." Police confirmed that the man has a history of severe violence and mental illness.
On the day of the incident, the Somali-born British man attempted to attack responding officers with a knife, but fortunately, no officers were injured. After being subdued and arrested, the man is currently still in police custody. The injured 34-year-old and 76-year-old Jewish men are still receiving treatment in the hospital and are in stable condition.
Police continue their investigation, including whether the suspect was involved in another knife attack that occurred earlier the same day in another part of London. At that time, he had fled before police arrived within six minutes of receiving the report.
Against the backdrop of intensified military conflicts and international political maneuvering in the Middle East over the past three years, several anti-Semitic violent attacks have recently occurred in the UK, particularly in the religiously and ethnically diverse Greater London area.
The British government today announced strengthened security protection for the Jewish community, including an additional £25 million (nearly NT$1.1 billion) investment to enhance community patrol policing. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had earlier today convened an emergency cabinet meeting and visited the community where the incident occurred on the 29th to express condolences to security watch and emergency response volunteers. (Editor: Yang Chao-yen) 1150501
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
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Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.