Terrorism Threat Publications
In-depth assessments on a range of issues relating to the threat of terrorism. Browse sector-specific risk reports, monthly and annual threat analysis, and webinars.
The Current State of Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism
It is almost certain that Extreme Right-Wing terrorism will remain a significant terrorism threat in the UK in the long term. It is highly likely that the Extreme Right-Wing terrorism threat has evolved away from structured groups to a more disparate online threat. It...
Neo-Nazi with Home ‘Armoury’ Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges
Author: Lucy Hagger,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 16 September 2024, Alan Edward, 54, was found guilty of planning to commit an act of terrorism {X}. Edward had discussed an attack on a LGBT group in Falkirk, Scotland. The court found Edward possessed and...
Conspiracy Theorist Guilty of Encouraging Terrorism
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 13 September 2024, Patrick Ruane, 55, of London, was found guilty of two counts of encouraging terrorism. Ruane reportedly believed in conspiracy theories about a “hidden agenda” in the government’s...
Germany Faces Increased Terrorism Threat
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes Timeline On 23 August 2024, Issa Al H, 26-years-old, conducted a Bladed Weapons attack in the West German city of Solingen {X}. The individual conducted the attack at approximately 21:40 at a free music...
Arson Attack at French Synagogue
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 24 August 2024, an individual conducted a Fire as a Weapon attack at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, France. Reporting suggests that the individual started fires at two entrances to the...
Islamic State Claim Responsibility for Festival of Diversity Attack
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 23 August 2024, Issa Al H, 26-years-old, conducted a Bladed Weapons attack in the western German city of Solingen {X}. The individual conducted the attack at approximately 21:40 at a free music concert...
British Army Soldier Attacked
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 23 July 2024, at approximately 17:50, a British Army soldier was stabbed in Kent in proximity to Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment....
Anjem Choudary Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 30 July 2024, Anjem Choudary, 57, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years for directing a terrorist organisation and encouraging support for a terrorist organisation following a...
School Student Given Youth Rehabilitation Order
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 16 July 2024, a 16-year-old from Stockton-on-Tees was given a three year Youth Rehabilitation Order and a three year Criminal Behaviour Order, after admitting to possessing Extreme Right-Wing material and...
Teenager Sentenced for Synagogue Attack Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 14 June 2024, Mason Reynolds, 19, of Brighton, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for offences including possessing plans for carrying out an attack on a synagogue near Brighton {X}. Reynolds...
Home Office Statistics Reveal Increase in Terrorist-Related Arrests
Author: Felix Foxmore,Senior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes New figures released by the Home Office reveal that arrests in the UK for terrorism-related offences have increased by almost a quarter. In the year ending 31 March 2024, there were 212 arrests in Great...
Individual Guilty of Hospital Terror Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 02 July 2024, Mohammad Farooq, 28, of Hetton Road in Leeds, was found guilty of preparing for an act of terrorism. Prior to the trial, Farooq had pleaded guilty to possessing an explosive substance with...
Individual Shot By Police During Arson Attack
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 17 May 2024, an individual who reportedly set fire to a synagogue was shot dead by police in Rouen, France. French authorities alleged that the individual was armed with a 25cm knife and threatened police...
Three Individuals Charged for Firearms Plot Against Jewish Community
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 14 May 2024, three individuals were charged with terrorism offences following an alleged firearms plot targeting the Jewish community in the north-west of England {X}. Walid Saadoui and Amar Hussein were...
14-Year-Old Arrested for Terrorism Offence
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 22 May 2024, a 14-year-old was arrested in London following an investigation related to Extreme Right-Wing terrorist material. The teenager was arrested on suspicion of possessing information of a kind...
Terrorist Exploitation of Artificial Intelligence: Current Risks and Future Applications
Artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to have wide ranging, transformational, and often beneficial, impacts on society. However, like all technology, AI also carries the potential for misuse by nefarious actors including Terrorists and Violent Extremists (TVEs)....
Post-Incident Report: Hartlepool Bladed Weapons Attack
Key Points: On 15 October 2023, Ahmed Ali Alid, a 45-year-old Hartlepool-based individual conducted a fatal terrorist attack in Hartlepool town centre, UK. {X} {X} Alid used a Bladed Weapon to attack and injure a housemate before killing a member of the public. Alid...
Terrorgram Proscribed as a Terrorist Organisation
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 26 April 2024, the Terrorgram collective was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK, meaning that it is now a criminal offence to belong to, publicly support, and/or invite support for the group...
Teenager Jailed Following Music Festival Terror Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 15 April 2024, a 16-year-old was sentenced to seven years in prison for plotting to conduct an Islamist-inspired terrorist attack {X}. According to the prosecutor, the individual had developed an “Islamic...
Terrorist Attack at Sydney Church
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 15 April 2024, an individual conducted a Bladed Weapons attack at a Sydney Church. The perpetrator targeted a bishop, a priest, and churchgoers during Mass at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church....
Stabbing Rampage at Sydney Shopping Centre
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 13 April 2024, an individual conducted a marauding Bladed Weapons attack at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in Sydney, Australia. There were six fatalities, and twelve others were injured,...
Russia: Highly Likely Crocus City Hall Terrorist Attack Conducted by Islamic State
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 22 March 2024 at approximately 19:40, four individuals entered the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow, and conducted a Firearms and Fire as a Weapon attack (FaW). The perpetrators targeted an...
UK: New Definition of Extremism Announced
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 14 March 2024, the UK Government announced a new definition of extremism. The new definition is “narrow and sharper” than its predecessor and will enable the government to publish a list of groups they...
Three Charged with Attack Plot Against Islamic Education Centre
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 27 February 2024, three individuals were charged with preparing an act of terrorism following an investigation into a suspected Extreme Right-Wing attack plot against an Islamic Education centre.{X} It is...
Left-Wing Anarchist Guilty of Preparing Acts of Terrorism
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 23 February 2024, an individual was convicted of preparation of terrorist acts. In a document titled "My Plan", the individual claimed he wanted to kill at least 50 people by attacking government buildings...
“Andrew Tate Admirer” Jailed Following University Attack Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 12 February 2024, an individual was sentenced to six years in prison after revealing that he wanted to attend his university "in full military-style get-up to shoot everyone for the lols". The individual...
Islamist Terrorist Sentenced to a Minimum of Five Years in Prison
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 02 February 2024, an individual was sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison for possessing chemicals for a terrorist purpose. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the individual was...
Home Office proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI,Senior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 19 January 2024, the British Home Secretary James Cleverly proscribed the Sunni Islamist political organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation, meaning that it is now a criminal...
Vehicle as a Weapon and Bladed Weapons Attack in Israel
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 15 January 2024, two individuals conducted a Marauding Terrorist Attack through the Israeli city of Raanana. Reporting suggests that one of the individuals conducted a Bladed Weapons attack against the...
Six Arrested Over Plot to Disrupt London Stock Exchange
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 14 January 2024, the Metropolitan Police arrested six individuals over a plot to disrupt the London Stock Exchange. It is alleged that individuals from Palestine Action intended to target the London Stock...
Individual Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attack Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 12 January 2024, an individual was sentenced to life in prison for plotting a “revenge” mass shooting at his former school in Worle, North Somerset. The individual was also convicted of weapons charges...
UK Podcast Hosts Sentenced for Terror Offences
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes Two individuals have been sentenced for a total of 15 years for terrorism offences. The pair encouraged listeners of their “neo-Nazi online podcast” – Black Wolf Radio – to commit acts of terrorism against...
Individual Sentenced After Hostile Reconnaissance at Iran International UK Headquarters
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 22 December 2023, an individual was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to collect information useful to a terrorist.[1] The individual conducted hostile reconnaissance at the...
New Statistics Show Increase in Prevent Referrals
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 07 December 2023, the UK Home Office released statistics on the number of individuals referred to, and supported through, the Prevent programme from April 2022 to March 2023.[1] The Prevent programme is...
Seven Individuals Arrested Over Terror Plots Linked to the Middle East
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 14 December 2023, German authorities arrested four individuals linked to an alleged plot to attack Jewish sites across Europe.[1] Media reporting suggests that the individuals were long-standing members...
Individual Jailed for Hyde Park Firearms Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 15 December 2023, an individual was sentenced to at least 16 years in prison for plotting to conduct an Islamist-inspired firearms attack at Hyde Park in London.[1] The individual intended to murder...
How to Stay Safe During the Festive Period
As the festive period approaches, it is important to remember that the UK faces a diverse and evolving terrorism threat. Among others, the 2016 Berlin Christmas Market and 2018 Strasbourg attacks act as a reminder of the intent of terrorist actors globally to conduct...
Islamist Terrorist Conducts Bladed and Blunt Force Weapons Attack in Paris
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 02 December 2023, an Islamist terrorist conducted a marauding Bladed and Blunt Force Weapons attack in central Paris, using a knife and a hammer. There was one fatality, and two others, including a British...
2023 Annual Threat Report
Pool Re’s Annual Threat Report explores the key terrorism trends and events of 2023, provides outlooks for 2024, and assesses the possible drivers of UK terrorism threat going forward. Click the image below to access the full report.
Former British Soldier Found Guilty of Preparing Right-Wing Terrorist Attack
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 17 November 2023, a former British soldier was found guilty of preparing to commit a terrorist attack. Counter Terrorism Police (CTP) found details on the individual’s phone about a plot to target a...
Suspected UK Member of Islamic State Sentenced for Terrorism Offences
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 13 November 2023, an individual suspected of being a member of a four-man Islamic State (IS) cell nicknamed “The Beatles” was sentenced to eight years in prison. The individual pleaded guilty to possession...
Extreme Right-Wing Teenager Sentenced for Terror Offences
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 10 November 2023, a 17 year old who adhered to an Extreme Right-Wing ideology was sentenced to 10 years in prison for offences including plotting a terrorist attack against a mosque. The perpetrator had...
Weapons from the Russia-Ukraine War: An Emerging Source of Terrorism Threat in the UK?
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 15 minutes “Our borders are not as secure as they should be and much greater efforts should be made to prevent the illegal transportation of weapons and people into the country. It would be naive in the extreme to...
UK: Man Sentenced for Buying Gun and Making Online Searches about School Shootings
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 26 October 2023, an individual was sentenced to five years in prison for “purchasing and attempting to acquire and possess a prohibited weapon between 1 December 2022 and 11 January 2023”.[1] Media...
Brussels Terrorist Attack Targets Swedish Nationals
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 16 October 2023, two Swedish football fans died, and a third was injured, following a shooting in Brussels, Belgium. The suspected perpetrator fled the scene and later shared a video in which he...
France Raises Threat Level after Terrorist Attack
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 15 October 2023, France was put on its highest level of terrorism alert following an Islamist-inspired Bladed Weapons attack at a French school on 13 October 2023. According to French police, the...
Israel and Hamas conflict – the potential impact outside of its borders
“It has always been the case that lots of would-be-terrorists in the UK draw inspiration through their distorted understanding of what is happening in other countries.” - Ken McCallum, Director General of MI5, 2023.[1] The current conflict between Israel and Hamas has...
Exploring the Importance of In-Person Radicalisation to Understand the UK Terrorism Threat
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 10 minutes Since 2010, in-person radicalisation has been linked to the majority of significant terrorism-related incidents in the UK. At the same time, rates of online radicalisation have been increasing rapidly...
Terror Suspect Escapes from Wandsworth Prison
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 6 September 2023, a terror suspect escaped from Wandsworth prison in London. The individual was on remand while awaiting trial for offences, including; collecting information useful to the enemy; eliciting...
Wagner Group Proscribed as a Terrorist Organisation
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 15 September 2023, the Wagner Group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK Home Office. The proscription makes belonging to the Wagner Group or actively supporting the group in the UK a...
Anjem Choudary Charged with Three Terrorism Offences
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 23 July 2023, media reporting suggested that British Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary was charged with three terrorism offences in relation to proscribed terrorist group al-Muhajiroun (ALM), a group...
Islamic State Suicide Bombing in Pakistan Kills 63
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes Media reporting suggests that on 30 July 2023, an individual linked with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) conducted a Person-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (PBIED) attack in Pakistan....
The Leadership Gap: al-Qa’ida after the Death of Ayman al-Zawahiri
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 10 minutes The former leader of al-Qa’ida, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan on 31 July 2022. al-Qa’ida has not yet confirmed the death of al-Zawahiri or announced a new...
Updated UK Counter-Terrorism Strategy Launched
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 18 July 2023, the UK Government launched CONTEST 2023, an updated version of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy. CONTEST was first launched in 2003 and is made up of four key pillars; Prevent,...
Moscow after Mutiny – What next for Wagner?
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 5 minutes Pool Re’s Threat Awareness Team have previously explored reports which suggested that the UK was preparing to proscribe Russia’s Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.[1] On 23 June 2023, the...
Nine arrested in Europe for terrorism offences related to Islamic State Khorasan Province
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On Thursday 6 July, nine individuals were arrested in a joint anti-terrorist operation by German, Dutch, and Belgian police. Seven individuals were arrested in Germany accused of founding a “domestic...
Attack Against Pride Parade Foiled by Austrian Police
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 7 minutes On 17 June 2023, three suspected Islamist terrorists were arrested in Austria for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack against an annual LGBTQ+ pride parade in Vienna. Austrian police revealed that...
New IRA Collaborated with Organised Crime Groups
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 16 June 2023, the High Court heard evidence suggesting that the New Irish Republican Army (New IRA) had collaborated with organised crime groups in the attempted murder of off-duty Detective Chief...
Two Individuals Sentenced After Plot to Destroy 5G Masts
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 05 June 2023, two individuals were jailed for a number of offences relating to terrorism and a plot to destroy 5G masts resulting from a subscription to COVID-19-related conspiracy theories.[1]...
Activist convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage whilst protesting for Palestine Action Group
Author: Julian Stone BEM, Principal Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes As of May 2023, a fourth activist linked with the Palestine Action Group (PAG) protest group was found guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal damage following a pro-Palestine protest at the...
Man pleads guilty to preparing an act of terrorism targeting a Christian preacher at Speakers’ Corner
Author: Becca Stewart, Threat Analyst Read Time: 2 minutes As of 19 May 2023, a 21-year-old man has admitted to preparing to conduct a terrorist attack in London before being arrested on 23 September 2022. The perpetrator allegedly intended to target a Christian...
British Government set to proscribe Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation
Author: Becca Stewart,Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutesAs of 9th May 2023, media reporting has suggested that the British Government plans formally to declare the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation within weeks.[1] Proscription of the Russian mercenary force...
Senior Islamic State Leaders Killed in Afghanistan and Syria
Author: Oliver Hair, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 5 minutesOn 26 April 2023, US officials confirmed that a senior leader within Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) responsible for the planning of the 2021 Kabul Airport attack was killed in an operation...
The King’s Coronation: ‘As we celebrate together, let’s keep each other safe’
Author: Calum Ronald, Senior Risk ConsultantRead Time: 3 minutesThousands of people across the country will be attending celebratory events this weekend, ranging from official Coronation ceremonies in Central London, to local street parties and community events. ‘As...
UK Government Test Phone Alert to Warn about Emergencies
Author: Oliver Hair, Junior Threat Analyst & Calum Ronald, Senior Risk Consultant Read Time: 2 minutes On 23 April 2023, the UK government tested a phone alert that will be used to warn users if there is a danger to life nearby. While many users reported that the...
Increase in Dissident Republican Activity as United States President Visits Northern Ireland
Author: Julian Stone BEM, Principal Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes As of 11 April 2023, the Police Service in Northern Ireland (PSNI) has announced the recovery of four suspected pipe bombs in a cemetery in the Creggan estate in Derry/Londonderry ahead of the...
19 Individuals with Suspected Links to Terrorism Allegedly Enter the UK as Irregular Migrants
Author: Julian Stone BEM, Principal Threat Analyst Read Time: 5 minutes Media reporting from several sources has alleged that 19 individuals with suspected links to terrorism were able to enter the UK through illegal migration networks in 2022.[1] The suspects that...
Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Two Fire as a Weapon Attacks
Author: Oliver Hair,Junior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutesAs of 24 March 2023, a man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after conducting two separate Fire as a Weapon attacks outside mosques in Birmingham and London.[1] On 27 February 2023, an...
100ml Limitation on Liquids Removed at UK Airports
Author: Becca Stewart,Threat Analyst &Calum Ronald, Senior Risk ConsultantRead Time: 3 minutesAs of March 2023, Teesside airport and London City airport have become the first UK airports to remove the 100ml limitation on liquids carried in hand baggage on...
New Home Office Figures Released
Author: Oliver Hair, Junior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutesOn 09 March 2023, the Home Office released new statistics covering the use of police powers related to terrorism in Great Britain up to the year ending 31 December 2022. The figures included in the data...
Police Officer Allegedly Shot by New IRA in Omagh, Northern Ireland
Author: Oliver Hair,Junior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutesOn 22 February 2023, an off-duty Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer was targeted by two individuals using a firearm in Omagh, Northern Ireland. The ongoing police investigation is treating the...
Manchester Arena Inquiry: If the worst were to happen, would you be adequately prepared?
At 22:31 on 22 May 2017, Salman Abedi detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Attended largely by teenagers and children, the horrifying result was the murder of twenty-two people and injury to over 800 people,...
Monthly Threat Update February 2023
This month: Man charged with terrorism offences following attempted Improvised Explosive Device attack outside Leeds Hospital. An independent Iranian news outlet forced out of London by reports of threat. Two prominent media figures sent threatening letters by...
Monthly Threat Update January 2023
This month we take a look at the potential move by the UK government to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as the ongoing investigation into traces of uranium found at Heathrow Airport last month.Read the full update here Monthly Threat...
Monthly Threat Update December 2022
What is the role of non-state cyber groups in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the implications of their actions at home and abroad? A report by Conrad Prince CB[1], Pool Re’s senior cyber terrorism adviser. Terrorism-related charges and convictions have increased in...
Martyn’s Law Gov Update Dec 2022
Pool Re welcomes Protect Duty announcement NEWS RELEASE - 19 December 2022Pool Re, Britain’s leading terrorism reinsurer, today welcomes the UK government’s announcement of its upcoming Protect Duty legislation, also known as Martyn’s Law. In a statement yesterday the...
Monthly Threat Update November 2022
This month we take a look at the threat of Fire-as-a-Weapon following a recent right-wing extremist attack at the Western Jet Foil immigration centre in Dover. Terrorism-related convictions in October remained consistent with September. However, of particular concern...
Dover Firebombing: Post-Incident Report
Image Source: Google (2022) Dover Western Jet Foil. Available at: http://maps.google.co.uk (Accessed: November 2022). When: 11:20 GMT, 30 October 2022 What: 3 crude incendiary devices Where: Dover, UK Who: Andrew Leak; motivated by extreme right-wing ideology Deaths:...
Pool Re and Security in the Aviation Industry
Earlier this year Pool Re's Senior Risk Consultant, Mark Susca, provided an interview to Counter Terror Business to discuss 'Pool Re and Security in the aviation industry'. Mark, you recently joined Pool Re as a Senior Risk Consultant. Tell us a little about your...
Monthly Threat Update October 2022
We ask, could the current cost-of-living crisis drive up radicalisation and terrorist attacks in the UK? Professor Andrew Silke (Cranfield University) comments on the latest unsettling findings. Whilst terrorism-related convictions and sentencing reduced in August and...
Monthly Threat Update September 2022
This month we take a look at how the threat posed to the UK by returning foreign fighters has evolved in recent years in light of emerging intelligence surrounding the trafficking of former British citizen, Shamima Begum, to Syria in 2015. We examine conviction and...
Monthly Threat Update August 2022
This month we take a look at the assassination of former Al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and consider what this might mean for the future of the group. We examine conviction and sentencing data from June and July for terrorism charges in Great Britain to help...
Monthly Threat Update July 2022
For our July monthly threat update, Professor Andrew Silke has assessed the current threat from eco-terrorism in Great Britain. Pool Re Solutions analysts examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between May and...
Sector Risk Report: Airports
Our new sector-specific risk report examines the terrorist threat to the airports sector and how it has changed post pandemic. This report is intended to share a more comprehensive understanding of the threat landscape surrounding airports, their possible...
Monthly Threat Update June 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an insight into the use of hostile vehicles by terrorist actors and the threat this method poses in the UK. We also examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between April...
Climate Change Reporting
Climate change is one of the most significant global issues of our time. In a recent United Nations Security Council Meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that “no one is safe from the destructive effects of climate disruption.” As our awareness and...
Are you Protect Duty prepared?
In the recent Queen's speech, the Government announced they would be introducing a draft terrorism bill called Protect Duty. The implications of the legislation could be far reaching, possibly affecting tens of thousands (if not more) businesses throughout the UK....
Monthly Threat Update May 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an insight into the concern about released terrorist prisoners and the threat they may pose in the UK. We also examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between March and...
Cyber Terrorism: Far-right extremists’ use of social media – an explainer
Our online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The third instalment examines far-right...
Monthly Threat Update April 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an insight into state terrorism and why there remains a debate around its inclusion within terrorism definitions. We also provide a roundup of significant terrorism-related events across advanced market countries. This includes...
Cyber Terrorism: Islamic State’s effective exploitation of social media
Our new online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The second instalment examines IS’ tactics and practices and the impact its social media strategy has on recruitment and propaganda.
Cyber Terrorism: Understanding online radicalisation
Our new online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The first article examines the role of the...
Monthly Threat Update March 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides analysis of the involvement of far-right groups in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and what this could mean for the UK’s terrorism threat landscape.
We also provide a roundup of significant terrorism-related events across advanced market countries. This includes the use of fitness apps as recruitment tools by far-right groups in the UK and the Global Terrorism Index’s review of the impact of terrorism in 2021, among other developments.
Finally, we examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between January and February.
UK Cyber Security: A New Approach?
The risk of Russian cyber retaliation in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine is just one pressing reason why the UK’s new national cyber strategy is so important.
Monthly Threat Update February 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an overview of the current threat landscape in the UK. This comes following a decision by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) to lower the UK Threat Level from ‘SEVERE’ to ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ and a lack of attacks in Great...
Monthly Threat Update January 2022
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month. However, in Texas, a British man took four hostages at a Synagogue and demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist also referred to as “Lady Al Qaeda”. The hostages were released, and the...
Review of the Home Office Protect Duty Consultation Report January 2022
On 10th January 2022, the Minister for Security and Borders at the Home Office, Damian Hinds MP, released a report summarising the findings from the public consultation for the proposed Protect Duty legislation that will require owners and/or operators of Publicly Accessible Locations (PALs) to take appropriate and proportionate measures to protect the public from terrorist attack.
Monthly Threat Update December 2021
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month. However, the Minister of State for Security and Borders re-emphasised the evolving nature of the terrorist threat towards “self-initiated” terrorism, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. An...
Solutions Annual Review 2021
It feels appropriate, a couple of months after the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, to pause and consider whether the world is more, or less, secure from terrorism than in the latter part of the previous century. I fear not. We are living in unprecedented times, in a...
Monthly Threat Update November 2021
There was one terrorist attack in Great Britain this month: an Improvised Explosive Device partially detonated outside the Liverpool Women’s hospital. It remains unknown if the hospital was the intended target as a Remembrance Day service was underway nearby, and the...
Hospitality & High Streets – short guide to festive terrorism risk management planning
Retail and hospitality businesses will no doubt be looking forward to a busy festive period, many of which have endured an incredibly difficult past 18 months due to pandemic lockdowns. However, as high streets, bars and restaurants become a hive of activity the UK Counter Terrorism and Metropolitan Police have warned of the increased likelihood of a terrorist attack.
Liverpool Women’s Hospital Taxi Explosion: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
On Sunday 14 November, an explosion occurred in a taxi outside the reception entrance of Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Emad al Swealmeen, the bomber, was the only fatality. The driver of the taxi, who escaped the vehicle immediately after the detonation, suffered minor injuries and was the only other casualty. There was no reported damage to the hospital.
Monthly Threat Update October 2021
There was one terrorist attack in Great Britain this month: a bladed weapon attack on Sir David Amess MP in Leigh-on-Sea. The previously unpublicised terrorist threat level for MPs was raised to SUBSTANTIAL and a review of MP security has been ordered. The incident...
Murder of Sir David Amess MP: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
On 15 October 2021, Sir David Amess MP, a British Conservative politician, was stabbed and killed in a premeditated attack at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea.
Monthly Threat Update September 2021
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month. However, the Director General of MI5 warned that the recent withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan would likely exacerbate the terrorist threat to the United Kingdom in future. He also revealed that four...
9.11 Two Decades of Disruption docufilm
2021 year marks the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic 9.11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more. It is a day in history that should never be forgotten nor repeated. IFTRIP, in collaboration with the US Treasury, presents 9.11: TWO...
Monthly Threat Update August 2021
There were no confirmed terrorist attacks in the UK, Western Europe or North America in August 2021. However, a shooting by a selfdescribed ‘incel’ in Plymouth, which resulted in the deaths of five civilians and the gunman, may be reclassified as terrorism according...
Westminster attack: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
The methodology of the Westminster attack is consistent with the current trend across mainland Europe of extremists using a vehicle and weapons against crowded places at iconic sites, targeting figures of authority such as the police. As the UK threat level was not...
Monthly Threat Update July 2021
There were no significant terrorist attacks or plots in the UK, Western Europe or North America in July 2021. However, the US and allied NATO forces began their withdrawal from Afghanistan, which is highly likely to lead to a resurgence in Al-Qaeda (AQ) operations in...
Sector Risk Report: Retail and Hospitality
Our latest sector-focused risk report examines the evolving terrorist threat to the retail and hospitality sector. This report is intended to provide a better understanding of the terrorist threat to owners and managers of businesses in the sector, so they can...
Monthly Threat Update June 2021
There were no significant attacks or disrupted terrorist plots in the United Kingdom in June 2021. However, a bladed weapons attack against shoppers in Wurzburg by a suspected Islamist extremist killed three and injured eight. In Ontario, a vehicle-as-a-weapon attack...
Monthly Threat Update May 2021
There were no significant terrorist attacks in the UK or Western Europe in May 2021. However, instability in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine has seemingly led to an increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes and violence in the UK and US. In response to the...
Violent Dissident Republicanism: What happens next?
Following a recent bomb plot targeting an off-duty Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer, the threat of violent dissident republicanism (VDR) is once again under the spotlight. As simmering intercommunal tensions escalated into violence across the Province...
RANSOMWARE: A Cyber Pandemic
By Conrad Prince CB, Pool Re’s Senior Cyber Terrorism Advisor – May 2021 Ransomware attacks, where cyber criminals seize control of victims’ computers and demand payment in return for restoring access, are a major criminal growth industry. According to one report,...
Sector Risk Report: Public Transport
As one of a series of focused sector risk reports, Pool Re SOLUTIONS, has examined the evolving threat to the Public Transport sector from terrorism. This report will be of particular interest to operators and responsible persons who manage or operate in the public...
Monthly Threat Update April 2021
A confirmed New IRA attempted bombing took place in Northern Ireland in April 2021. The group attempted to kill an off-duty police officer using a homemade improvised explosive device (IED) in Dungiven, Co. Derry/Londonderry on 19 April 2021. Further afield on 23...
Monthly Threat Update March 2021
There were no significant, confirmed terrorist attacks in the UK or other Advanced Market countries in March 2020. However, a mass-shooting in Atlanta, US, highlights definitional issues in categorising certain attacks as terrorist in nature in different...
Why terrorist attacks remain likely despite a move to SUBSTANTIAL
On 8 February 2021, the Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the UK national threat level would be lowered from ‘SEVERE’ to ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ following a Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) review. The Home Secretary credited the move to the ‘significant reduction in...
Monthly Threat Update February 2021
There were no significant terrorist attacks in the UK or Europe in February. Despite a recent decline in terrorist activity and the reduction of the UK threat level to ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ from ‘SEVERE’, the threat of a terrorist attack occurring remains likely. February...
UPDATE: Oldsmar Water Facility Attack
An initial RFI was completed for Pool Re and submitted on 15 February 2021. The following supplement provides additional insight into the attack and expands on evidence made public since the initial submission. Section 1: Actor Identity and Motivation Due to the...
Solarwinds hack reinforces the supply chain security challenge
In one of his first acts as President, Joe Biden has ordered an urgent review into the hostile cyber operation targeting the US tech company SolarWinds and its customers. The SolarWinds hack impacted multiple organisations globally, including US Government...
Oldsmar Water Facility Attack: Post-Incident Report
Section 1: Incident Report On 5 February 2021, unidentified hackers remotely accessed the water treatment plant of Oldsmar, a small Florida city of 15,000 people in the Tampa Bay area, and briefly changed the levels of lye sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in the drinking...
Monthly Threat Update January 2021
Whilst no significant terrorist attacks took place in January 2021 in the UK, the rest of Western Europe or North America, there has been a noticeable increase in counter-terrorist activity. Within the UK, counter-terrorism police disrupted two plots, one involving a...
Monthly Threat Update December 2020
Despite warnings by police and government officials, there were no terrorist attacks in the UK or Europe in December. The festive period usually provides a wealth of targets for would-be terrorists, due to increased footfall in commercial areas and an increase in...
Monthly Threat Update November 2020
There has been a noticeable increase in terrorist activity in Western countries over the last two months. Following a spate of attacks in Europe, including a marauding firearms attack in Vienna, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) raised the UK’s national...
Cyber in the new normal: How COVID-19 is shaping the cyber threat landscape
By Conrad Prince CB, Senior Cyber Advisor to Pool Re The full implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for cyber security will not be known for some time. What is clear though is that cyber criminals have taken full advantage of the crisis and nation states have used...
Terrorist intent, capability, and the threat of firearms and explosives attacks
By Jerry Smith OBE, Senior Partner, CHC Global Background The University of Marylands Global Terrorism Database (GTD) shows that the majority of mass casualty attacks in Western Europe now employ low complexity Methodology involving the use of vehicles or knives as...
Global insecurity and the terrorist threat to the UK: Examining the relationship between insecurity overseas and the UK’s terrorism threat landscape
The global security situation is deteriorating. Increasing political polarisation, climate change, and unprecedented challenges to the post-war international order are all contributing factors. On top of this, the world is now facing the worst public health crisis in...
E-Jihad: a credible new threat?
Al-Qaeda's new cyber strategy and the outlook for cyber terrorism In June 2020, al-Qaeda (AQ) released the second issue of its new English-language magazine One Ummah. The publication's diverse contents included a lengthy article on the United States economy,...
Terrorist recidivism: How much of a problem is reoffending by convicted terrorists?
Given the attacks in the winter of 2019-2020 in the UK, such concerns appear to be well founded. However, there is considerable debate over the actual level of threat posed by terrorist offenders on their release. The research on levels of terrorist recidivism is far...
Pan-European security initiatives and the outlook for security cooperation post-Brexit
By Emily Winterbotham, Director, Terrorism and Conflict group, Senior Research Fellow, RUSI How will Brexit impact on the UK's ability to counter terrorism? One of the things that the UK and the EU can agree on is that counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation must continue...
Conspiracy theories and terrorism: The growing role of online conspiracy theories as a driver of political violence
Conspiracy theories originating from online forums are becoming increasingly commonplace in mainstream political narratives. In some instances, these conspiracy theories have led to violence offline. This raises a number of questions for both security practitioners...
Assessing the scale of the growing threat posed by right-wing terrorism
On 30 June, Feuerkrieg Division became the third far-right group to be proscribed by the UK's Home Secretary, making it a criminal offence to be a member of, or invite support for, the organisation. This followed the proscription of Sonnenkrieg Division, another...
Horizon scanning the terrorism threat: Understanding the drivers of terrorism and anticipating new threats
By Andrew Silke, Professor of Risk and Resilience, Cranfield University Understanding the causes of terrorism represents an important step in anticipating the emergence of new terrorist campaigns and offers real potential to assist with the mitigation of the impact of...
Insure to be resilient: How to strengthen national security in a post-COVID-19 world
By Paddy McGuinness CMG OBE, Former UK Deputy National Security Advisor As 2020 draws on, and we endure the largest natural hazard event of our generation, we should ask whether and how the British Government plans to partner with the insurance industry to improve...
Monthly Threat Update October 2020
October witnessed a noticeable increase in the frequency of Islamist attacks in Europe. In France, a spate of attacks related to the ongoing controversy around the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed led the French Interior Ministry to raise the...
Monthly Threat Update September 2020
There were no terrorist attacks in the UK this month. However, a man armed with a bladed weapon injured two people near the former offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The attack was reportedly launched in response to the magazine’s decision to...
COVID-19: Highlighting the CBR threat
COVID-19 has highlighted the threat of terrorists using CBR materials. Could this present a worrying new peril to business and the economy? Join Ed Butler CBE DSO - Chief Resilience Officer, Pool Re, and our expert team of panellists: Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE...
Monthly Threat Update August 2020
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain in August 2020. However, police did arrest several individuals in England and Northern Ireland on suspicion of preparation of terrorism acts. In Europe, a suspected Islamist extremist drove his car into several other...
Monthly Threat Update July 2020
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month, but counter-terrorism police did arrest four men suspected of plotting a ‘low-sophistication’ attack which involved plans to behead a Shia cleric. Separately, the Home Office proscribed the Feuerkrieg...
When terrorism and cyber worlds collide
Tune into our webinar, as our expert panelists probe deeper into what this means for us, how the landscape is changing and how insurers are responding to the new and emerging threats. We live in an age of continuous change and disruption COVID-19, and the resulting...
Conspiracy theories and terrorism
Since April, unidentified assailants have partially damaged or destroyed over 70 communications masts across the UK. The attacks were inspired by an online conspiracy theory linking 5G communications to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As well as targeting...
Time for a good, hard look in the mirror?
Even the UK’s National Risk Register[1] states a pandemic, albeit an influenza one, as one of the most significant threats facing the UK. Whilst this blog is not a commentary on how well the UK managed COVID-19, it does show that even governments find it difficult to...
Monthly Threat Update June 2020
There was one terrorist attack in Great Britain this month; a bladed weapons attack against members of the public in a park in Reading. The frequency of attacks across Western Europe is likely to increase as countries begin to ease restrictions imposed in response the...
Post Incident Report: Bladed Weapon attack, Forbury Park, Reading
When: 20 June 2020 Where: Reading, Berkshire Who: Khairi Saadallah What: Bladed weapons attack against civilians Deaths: 3 Injuries: 3 Type: Terrorist attack Summary A terrorist armed with a knife killed three people and wounded three others in Forbury Park in...
Right-wing terrorism since Christchurch
By Eden Stewart, Senior Analyst and Callum Yourston, Analyst: Risk Awareness Team In March 2019, a gunmen killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand; it was the deadliest attack by a right-wing terrorist (RWT) for nearly a decade. The shooting...
Webinar: COVID-19 and terrorism
Andrew Silke, Pool Re and Cranfield University’s Professor of Terrorism Risk Management and Resilience assesses, in the attached report, the short and long term impacts and potential consequences of COVID-19 on terrorist actors, target types and methodologies. This...
COVID-19 and terrorism: assessing the short-and long-term impacts
By Andrew Silke, Professor of Risk and Resilience at Cranfield University Summary The COVID-19 pandemic is already having a significant impact on terrorism in a variety of ways. There is a mixed picture on the level of attacks in the short-term lockdown measures will...
Analysis of recent bladed weapon attacks in Europe
Key findings Bladed weapon attacks have become the favoured methodology of terrorists in Europe because they are quick, cheap to execute and hard to prevent; Furthermore, such attacks fulfil the limited objectives of the most prolific terrorist actors: ample media...
RFI Iran: Cyber Capabilities Conclusions
Executive Summary The following report comprises a collection and analysis of Iran's capabilities and accomplishments to date in the cyber field. Iran's cyber capabilities have been continuously improving over the course of the last five years, as state-backed groups...
Streatham Bladed Weapon Attack: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
When: 02 February 2020 Where: Streatham, London Who: Islamist extremist - Sudesh Amman What: Bladed weapons attack against civilians Deaths: 0 Injuries: 3 Type: Terrorist attack Summary: At 14:00 on Sunday, 02 February, a man armed with a large knife stabbed and...
Unconventional Methodology: Terrorist use of Drones
Terrorist groups across the globe have long had the intent, and in some instances the capability, to use remote-piloted aerial vehicles (drones) in attacks. However, the proliferation of relatively cheap, small, commercially available rotary wing drones has...
Unconventional Methodology: Recent Developments in Offensive Cyber Operations and the Implications for Terrorism
Conrad Prince, Senior Cyber Terrorism Advisor to Pool Re Pool Re is continuing to assess terrorist use of cyber, working with our partners at the Centre for Risk Studies at Cambridge University's Judge Business School. Our focus is on the potential for terrorists to...
Unconventional Methodology: CBRN Proliferation and the Threat to the UK
By Jerry Smith, OBE, CHC Consulting There have been no successful terrorist attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) material in the UK or other developed economies over the past 12 months. However, terrorists retain the intent to employ...
How Terrorists Think About the Economic Impact of Attacks
Andrew Silke, Professor of Terrorism, Risk & Resilience, Cranfield University It has long been recognised that terrorism can be a remarkably effective low cost form of conflict. For modest outlays on the part of perpetrators, terrorist violence can inflict...
Daesh’s Communications Strategy Post-Caliphate, and What it Means for the UK
The collapse of Daesh's so-called "caliphate" has diminished the group's mass appeal and crippled its ability to direct and coordinate strategic communications. While the group's ability to propagandise is unlikely to be extinguished in the medium-term, it no longer...
London Bridge / Fishmongers’ Hall Attack: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
When: 29 November 2019 Where: Fishmongers' Hall, London Bridge, London, United Kingdom Who: Usman Khan, Islamist Lone Actor What: Bladed weapon attack in conference hall Deaths: 2 (excluding the attacker) Injuries: 3 Type: Attack Summary: On 29 November at 13:58hrs,...
Terrorism Threat and Mitigation Report 2019
This edition of the Terrorism Threat and Mitigation Report 2019 considers the UK’s threat landscape, Daesh’s strategy following the loss of its so-called ‘Caliphate’, and evaluates the risks posed by unconventional attack methodologies. We also bring you unique...
The Importance of NDBI Cover
"It'll never happen here" - we have worked with ITN and BIBA to produce this compelling short film. The aim is to help small businesses (SMEs) understand the impact of not having terrorism insurance in place, if the worst should happen. Centred in Borough Market, the...
Manchester Arndale Centre Attack: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
When: 11 October 2019 Where: Arndale Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom Who: Unnamed 41 year old man What: Bladed weapon attack in urban shopping centre Deaths: 0 Injuries: 5 Type: Islamist Attack Summary: On 11 October at around 11:15hrs, an unnamed 41-year-old man...
Radicalisation Impact on the Terrorist
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Left-Wing Terrorism
With the collapse of communism in the late 1980s, the threat from left-wing terrorism receded in the West. Without the ideological authority and political support derived from the Soviet Union and its allies, the succession of violent Marxist-Leninist movements seen...
Right-Wing Terrorism
The massacre of 50 people at two mosques in southern New Zealand on 15 March served as a grim reminder of the threat posed by RWT. While accounting for a small proportion of terrorism globally, attacks by RWT have been on the rise in recent years across the West....
The Process of Radicalisation
Guest Writer, Raffaello Pantucci, Director of International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Amongst the reams of academic literature written on the topic, there is no single explanation or answer to how or why radicalisation happens....
The Violent Dissident Republican Threat
By Andrew Silke, Professor of Terrorism, Risk & Resilience, Cranfield University Background Though often overlooked in recent years, terrorism related to Northern Ireland is still a possible threat to the UK. Since the signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement in...
Terrorist Use of Drones in the United Kingdom
Executive Summary With the proliferation of the small drones market globally, and the increasing attention drawn to the disruption they can cause when used inappropriately, there is widely held concern that terrorists will seek to use a drone in an attack in the UK. A...
BIBA Terrorism Insurance Guide
BIBA Terrorism Guide Pool Re was delighted to be asked to be a key contributor for this BIBA Terrorism Insurance Guide. We recognise the vital role insurance brokers play in ensuring commercial policyholders obtain the most appropriate insurance cover for their...
Manchester Arena Attack, 22 May 2017: Study into the Impact on Small Businesses
Pool Re undertook a case study[1] into the impact of the Manchester Arena attack on small businesses in the area. The study also investigated what, if any, protective measures in terms of insurance, businesses were aware of. Research revealed that some businesses...
Strasbourg Shooting Attack: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
Where: Strasbourg, France. Who: Cherif Chekatt, 29-year-old, Strasbourg resident, no known connection to overseas terror groups. What: Firearms attack against Christmas market, skirmishes with pursuing security forces. Deaths: 3. Injuries: 13. Type: Firearms attack....
Daesh 2.0: What’s next?
Analysis by the Royal United Institute (RUSI) "To what extent will the current components which make up the UK terrorist threat change over the next three years?" The terrorist threat to the UK comes from three types of threat actor. The most capable and determined...
Terrorism Frequency Report 03/18
This is the third edition of the Pool Re Terrorism Frequency Report and the last in 2018. We examine whether the threat of returning foreign fighters is greater than that posed by Islamist extremists who have not been to the so-called Caliphate (including the...
Terrorism Frequency Report 02/18
This second edition of the Terrorism Frequency Report coincides with the 25th anniversary of the formation of Pool Re. This resource provides Pool Re Members and stakeholders with a record of recent terrorist attacks, detailing their severity and frequency, as well as...
The IRAs Mainland Bombing Campaign and the Founding of Pool Re
By Andrew Silke, Professor of Risk and Resilience at Cranfield University This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Pool Re. In an era dominated by the threat of Islamist terrorism and the spectre of suicide attacks and mass casualty bombings and...
National Action and the growth of the extreme right-wing
Britain has suffered two attacks carried out by extreme right-wing (XRW) actors in as many years. Darren Osbourne's attack on Muslims outside the Finsbury Park Mosque was preceded by the June 2016 murder of Jo Cox MP by Thomas Mair. The attacks signalled an...
Al-Qaedaesh: Possible Al-Qaeda / Daesh merger
As predicted, Daesh's territorial holdings in Iraq and Syria and elsewhere across the globe have been significantly eroded and the impending collapse of the physical so-called Caliphate has raised hopes for the group's end. However, elements of Daesh and its ideology...
The ‘Virtual’ Caliphate: A Bigger Threat than Islamic State
With the impending destruction of Daesh's physical so-called Caliphate in Iraq and Syria, the future trajectory of the organisation is unclear. However, some commentators have warned that the group will retain global influence after its territorial collapse by...
2017: A new IED campaign?
The Manchester attack was therefore inconsistent with the perceived trend towards low complexity attacks, and the marauding vehicle and bladed attacks in London Bridge in June seemingly confirmed the use of an IED in Manchester as anomalous. However, on 15 September,...
The Changing Face of Terrorism: How the Government should respond
In July last year, then Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, clearly stated that the risk of a terror attack in the UK remained a case of “when, not if”. Almost a year later his warning has become a painful reality. In just ten weeks, there...
Post Incident Report: Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge attacks
Three Attacks in Three Months – Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge The three attacks have many common features. All of them were undertaken by Islamist extremists and claimed by Daesh, although the claims are yet to be corroborated. Khalid Masood’s attack on...
Post Incident Report: Westminster Attack
Whilst the UK is a desired target, it is a difficult environment for extremists to operate in. The police and MI5 have successfully disrupted at least 14 plots against the homeland since 2013, but with the frequency of low complexity attacks spreading across Europe,...
Ankara and Berlin: What happens next?
The attacks on the 19th December 2016, in Berlin and Ankara, once again demonstrate the power of extremist ideology to motivate 'lone actors' to commit terrorist acts. A sign of things to come as Daesh is defeated militarily in Syria and Iraq. The horrific lorry...
Do the arrests in Derby confirm the Head of MI6’s warning?
The arrest of six terrorist suspects on 12th December increases the number of thwarted attacks in the UK to thirteen in the last two years. Will the large numbers of anticipated returning fighters from Syria and Iraq lead to more terrorist plots being uncovered? The...
20 years since the Manchester bombing – a modern risk?
A modern risk with a long history - much has happened since Pool Re was created in 1993 to meet the immediate need for terrorism reinsurance. That need was a direct result of numerous IRA bombings. The cost of these losses caused insurers and reinsurers to focus on...
Dissident republicanism is a reoccurring threat
On Wednesday 11 May, the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, issued a written statement to Parliament detailing the security services' decision to raise the threat level. In her written statement she did not specify any reasons for the change in threat level....
Monthly Threat Update January 2023
This month we take a look at the potential move by the UK government to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as the ongoing investigation into traces of uranium found at Heathrow Airport last month.Read the full update here Monthly Threat...
Monthly Threat Update July 2022
For our July monthly threat update, Professor Andrew Silke has assessed the current threat from eco-terrorism in Great Britain. Pool Re Solutions analysts examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between May and...
COVID-19: Highlighting the CBR threat
COVID-19 has highlighted the threat of terrorists using CBR materials. Could this present a worrying new peril to business and the economy? Join Ed Butler CBE DSO - Chief Resilience Officer, Pool Re, and our expert team of panellists: Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE...
COVID-19 and terrorism: assessing the short-and long-term impacts
By Andrew Silke, Professor of Risk and Resilience at Cranfield University Summary The COVID-19 pandemic is already having a significant impact on terrorism in a variety of ways. There is a mixed picture on the level of attacks in the short-term lockdown measures will...
Unconventional Methodology: CBRN Proliferation and the Threat to the UK
By Jerry Smith, OBE, CHC Consulting There have been no successful terrorist attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) material in the UK or other developed economies over the past 12 months. However, terrorists retain the intent to employ...
Salisbury | Open for Business?
On Sunday 4th March, the emergency services were called to a bench in the centre of Salisbury where father and daughter Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found "in a catatonic state". Within the next few hours, both the Skripals and a British police officer DS Nick Bailey...
How clean is clean enough? The Threat of Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Terrorism in the UK
A terrorist attack involving CBRN material is a high-impact, low-probability event. The Cabinet Office National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies recognises the potential for such an attack, from which an operational framework and contingency plans have been...
Climate Change Reporting
Climate change is one of the most significant global issues of our time. In a recent United Nations Security Council Meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that “no one is safe from the destructive effects of climate disruption.” As our awareness and...
Monthly Threat Update January 2023
This month we take a look at the potential move by the UK government to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as the ongoing investigation into traces of uranium found at Heathrow Airport last month.Read the full update here Monthly Threat...
Monthly Threat Update December 2022
What is the role of non-state cyber groups in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the implications of their actions at home and abroad? A report by Conrad Prince CB[1], Pool Re’s senior cyber terrorism adviser. Terrorism-related charges and convictions have increased in...
Monthly Threat Update May 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an insight into the concern about released terrorist prisoners and the threat they may pose in the UK. We also examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between March and...
Cyber Terrorism: Far-right extremists’ use of social media – an explainer
Our online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The third instalment examines far-right...
Monthly Threat Update April 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an insight into state terrorism and why there remains a debate around its inclusion within terrorism definitions. We also provide a roundup of significant terrorism-related events across advanced market countries. This includes...
Cyber Terrorism: Islamic State’s effective exploitation of social media
Our new online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The second instalment examines IS’ tactics and practices and the impact its social media strategy has on recruitment and propaganda.
Cyber Terrorism: Understanding online radicalisation
Our new online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The first article examines the role of the...
UK Cyber Security: A New Approach?
The risk of Russian cyber retaliation in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine is just one pressing reason why the UK’s new national cyber strategy is so important.
Monthly Threat Update December 2021
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month. However, the Minister of State for Security and Borders re-emphasised the evolving nature of the terrorist threat towards “self-initiated” terrorism, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. An...
RANSOMWARE: A Cyber Pandemic
By Conrad Prince CB, Pool Re’s Senior Cyber Terrorism Advisor – May 2021 Ransomware attacks, where cyber criminals seize control of victims’ computers and demand payment in return for restoring access, are a major criminal growth industry. According to one report,...
Home Office proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI,Senior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 19 January 2024, the British Home Secretary James Cleverly proscribed the Sunni Islamist political organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation, meaning that it is now a criminal...
Seven Individuals Arrested Over Terror Plots Linked to the Middle East
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 14 December 2023, German authorities arrested four individuals linked to an alleged plot to attack Jewish sites across Europe.[1] Media reporting suggests that the individuals were long-standing members...
Individual Jailed for Hyde Park Firearms Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 15 December 2023, an individual was sentenced to at least 16 years in prison for plotting to conduct an Islamist-inspired firearms attack at Hyde Park in London.[1] The individual intended to murder...
Islamist Terrorist Conducts Bladed and Blunt Force Weapons Attack in Paris
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 02 December 2023, an Islamist terrorist conducted a marauding Bladed and Blunt Force Weapons attack in central Paris, using a knife and a hammer. There was one fatality, and two others, including a British...
Suspected UK Member of Islamic State Sentenced for Terrorism Offences
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 13 November 2023, an individual suspected of being a member of a four-man Islamic State (IS) cell nicknamed “The Beatles” was sentenced to eight years in prison. The individual pleaded guilty to possession...
Brussels Terrorist Attack Targets Swedish Nationals
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 16 October 2023, two Swedish football fans died, and a third was injured, following a shooting in Brussels, Belgium. The suspected perpetrator fled the scene and later shared a video in which he...
France Raises Threat Level after Terrorist Attack
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 15 October 2023, France was put on its highest level of terrorism alert following an Islamist-inspired Bladed Weapons attack at a French school on 13 October 2023. According to French police, the...
Exploring the Importance of In-Person Radicalisation to Understand the UK Terrorism Threat
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 10 minutes Since 2010, in-person radicalisation has been linked to the majority of significant terrorism-related incidents in the UK. At the same time, rates of online radicalisation have been increasing rapidly...
Anjem Choudary Charged with Three Terrorism Offences
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 23 July 2023, media reporting suggested that British Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary was charged with three terrorism offences in relation to proscribed terrorist group al-Muhajiroun (ALM), a group...
Islamic State Suicide Bombing in Pakistan Kills 63
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes Media reporting suggests that on 30 July 2023, an individual linked with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) conducted a Person-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (PBIED) attack in Pakistan....
Monthly Threat Update July 2022
For our July monthly threat update, Professor Andrew Silke has assessed the current threat from eco-terrorism in Great Britain. Pool Re Solutions analysts examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between May and...
Monthly Threat Update January 2022
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month. However, in Texas, a British man took four hostages at a Synagogue and demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist also referred to as “Lady Al Qaeda”. The hostages were released, and the...
Left-Wing Terrorism
With the collapse of communism in the late 1980s, the threat from left-wing terrorism receded in the West. Without the ideological authority and political support derived from the Soviet Union and its allies, the succession of violent Marxist-Leninist movements seen...
The House of Commons initiates debate on Martyn’s Law
On the 14th October 2024, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill was commended to the House of Commons, as part of the Second Reading of the draft legislation. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, Yvette Cooper, outlined that the intention of the bill...
Home Office launches public consultation on Martyn’s Law Standard Tier
The Home Office has announced the beginning of a public consultation on the scope and application of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, known as Martyn’s Law, for Standard Tier properties. The Standard Tier is expected to apply to publicly accessible...
Manchester Arena Inquiry: If the worst were to happen, would you be adequately prepared?
At 22:31 on 22 May 2017, Salman Abedi detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Attended largely by teenagers and children, the horrifying result was the murder of twenty-two people and injury to over 800 people,...
Martyn’s Law Gov Update Dec 2022
Pool Re welcomes Protect Duty announcement NEWS RELEASE - 19 December 2022Pool Re, Britain’s leading terrorism reinsurer, today welcomes the UK government’s announcement of its upcoming Protect Duty legislation, also known as Martyn’s Law. In a statement yesterday the...
Sector Risk Report: Airports
Our new sector-specific risk report examines the terrorist threat to the airports sector and how it has changed post pandemic. This report is intended to share a more comprehensive understanding of the threat landscape surrounding airports, their possible...
Monthly Threat Update June 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an insight into the use of hostile vehicles by terrorist actors and the threat this method poses in the UK. We also examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between April...
Are you Protect Duty prepared?
In the recent Queen's speech, the Government announced they would be introducing a draft terrorism bill called Protect Duty. The implications of the legislation could be far reaching, possibly affecting tens of thousands (if not more) businesses throughout the UK....
Review of the Home Office Protect Duty Consultation Report January 2022
On 10th January 2022, the Minister for Security and Borders at the Home Office, Damian Hinds MP, released a report summarising the findings from the public consultation for the proposed Protect Duty legislation that will require owners and/or operators of Publicly Accessible Locations (PALs) to take appropriate and proportionate measures to protect the public from terrorist attack.
Protect Duty legislation implications on UK businesses and insurance
Our latest sector-focused risk report highlighted that all publicly accessible businesses simply can’t afford to ignore the continued risk of terrorism, which is no longer exclusive to cities and major towns but remains a nationwide threat.
Sector Risk Report: Retail and Hospitality
Our latest sector-focused risk report examines the evolving terrorist threat to the retail and hospitality sector. This report is intended to provide a better understanding of the terrorist threat to owners and managers of businesses in the sector, so they can...
UK Podcast Hosts Sentenced for Terror Offences
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes Two individuals have been sentenced for a total of 15 years for terrorism offences. The pair encouraged listeners of their “neo-Nazi online podcast” – Black Wolf Radio – to commit acts of terrorism against...
Former British Soldier Found Guilty of Preparing Right-Wing Terrorist Attack
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes On 17 November 2023, a former British soldier was found guilty of preparing to commit a terrorist attack. Counter Terrorism Police (CTP) found details on the individual’s phone about a plot to target a...
Extreme Right-Wing Teenager Sentenced for Terror Offences
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 10 November 2023, a 17 year old who adhered to an Extreme Right-Wing ideology was sentenced to 10 years in prison for offences including plotting a terrorist attack against a mosque. The perpetrator had...
Exploring the Importance of In-Person Radicalisation to Understand the UK Terrorism Threat
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 10 minutes Since 2010, in-person radicalisation has been linked to the majority of significant terrorism-related incidents in the UK. At the same time, rates of online radicalisation have been increasing rapidly...
Monthly Threat Update February 2023
This month: Man charged with terrorism offences following attempted Improvised Explosive Device attack outside Leeds Hospital. An independent Iranian news outlet forced out of London by reports of threat. Two prominent media figures sent threatening letters by...
Monthly Threat Update December 2022
What is the role of non-state cyber groups in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the implications of their actions at home and abroad? A report by Conrad Prince CB[1], Pool Re’s senior cyber terrorism adviser. Terrorism-related charges and convictions have increased in...
Monthly Threat Update November 2022
This month we take a look at the threat of Fire-as-a-Weapon following a recent right-wing extremist attack at the Western Jet Foil immigration centre in Dover. Terrorism-related convictions in October remained consistent with September. However, of particular concern...
Dover Firebombing: Post-Incident Report
Image Source: Google (2022) Dover Western Jet Foil. Available at: http://maps.google.co.uk (Accessed: November 2022). When: 11:20 GMT, 30 October 2022 What: 3 crude incendiary devices Where: Dover, UK Who: Andrew Leak; motivated by extreme right-wing ideology Deaths:...
Monthly Threat Update October 2022
We ask, could the current cost-of-living crisis drive up radicalisation and terrorist attacks in the UK? Professor Andrew Silke (Cranfield University) comments on the latest unsettling findings. Whilst terrorism-related convictions and sentencing reduced in August and...
Monthly Threat Update September 2022
This month we take a look at how the threat posed to the UK by returning foreign fighters has evolved in recent years in light of emerging intelligence surrounding the trafficking of former British citizen, Shamima Begum, to Syria in 2015. We examine conviction and...
The King’s Coronation: ‘As we celebrate together, let’s keep each other safe’
Author: Calum Ronald, Senior Risk ConsultantRead Time: 3 minutesThousands of people across the country will be attending celebratory events this weekend, ranging from official Coronation ceremonies in Central London, to local street parties and community events. ‘As...
Sector Risk Report: Public Transport
As one of a series of focused sector risk reports, Pool Re SOLUTIONS, has examined the evolving threat to the Public Transport sector from terrorism. This report will be of particular interest to operators and responsible persons who manage or operate in the public...
The Importance of NDBI Cover
"It'll never happen here" - we have worked with ITN and BIBA to produce this compelling short film. The aim is to help small businesses (SMEs) understand the impact of not having terrorism insurance in place, if the worst should happen. Centred in Borough Market, the...
How to Stay Safe During the Festive Period
As the festive period approaches, it is important to remember that the UK faces a diverse and evolving terrorism threat. Among others, the 2016 Berlin Christmas Market and 2018 Strasbourg attacks act as a reminder of the intent of terrorist actors globally to conduct...
Decoding two differing responses to a common threat
How do the UK and US compare? The UK's revised Counter Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST) was published in June 2018. The importance of working closely with the private sector, including the insurance sector, in counter-terrorism was highlighted as a theme across the...
Six Arrested Over Plot to Disrupt London Stock Exchange
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 14 January 2024, the Metropolitan Police arrested six individuals over a plot to disrupt the London Stock Exchange. It is alleged that individuals from Palestine Action intended to target the London Stock...
Activist convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal damage whilst protesting for Palestine Action Group
Author: Julian Stone BEM, Principal Threat Analyst Read Time: 3 minutes As of May 2023, a fourth activist linked with the Palestine Action Group (PAG) protest group was found guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal damage following a pro-Palestine protest at the...
Individual Sentenced After Hostile Reconnaissance at Iran International UK Headquarters
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 22 December 2023, an individual was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to collect information useful to a terrorist.[1] The individual conducted hostile reconnaissance at the...
Wagner Group Proscribed as a Terrorist Organisation
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 15 September 2023, the Wagner Group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK Home Office. The proscription makes belonging to the Wagner Group or actively supporting the group in the UK a...
Moscow after Mutiny – What next for Wagner?
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 5 minutes Pool Re’s Threat Awareness Team have previously explored reports which suggested that the UK was preparing to proscribe Russia’s Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.[1] On 23 June 2023, the...
Weapons from the Russia-Ukraine War: An Emerging Source of Terrorism Threat in the UK?
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 15 minutes “Our borders are not as secure as they should be and much greater efforts should be made to prevent the illegal transportation of weapons and people into the country. It would be naive in the extreme to...
Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Two Fire as a Weapon Attacks
Author: Oliver Hair,Junior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutesAs of 24 March 2023, a man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after conducting two separate Fire as a Weapon attacks outside mosques in Birmingham and London.[1] On 27 February 2023, an...
Monthly Threat Update February 2023
This month: Man charged with terrorism offences following attempted Improvised Explosive Device attack outside Leeds Hospital. An independent Iranian news outlet forced out of London by reports of threat. Two prominent media figures sent threatening letters by...
Monthly Threat Update January 2023
This month we take a look at the potential move by the UK government to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as the ongoing investigation into traces of uranium found at Heathrow Airport last month.Read the full update here Monthly Threat...
Monthly Threat Update December 2022
What is the role of non-state cyber groups in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the implications of their actions at home and abroad? A report by Conrad Prince CB[1], Pool Re’s senior cyber terrorism adviser. Terrorism-related charges and convictions have increased in...
Monthly Threat Update November 2022
This month we take a look at the threat of Fire-as-a-Weapon following a recent right-wing extremist attack at the Western Jet Foil immigration centre in Dover. Terrorism-related convictions in October remained consistent with September. However, of particular concern...
Monthly Threat Update September 2022
This month we take a look at how the threat posed to the UK by returning foreign fighters has evolved in recent years in light of emerging intelligence surrounding the trafficking of former British citizen, Shamima Begum, to Syria in 2015. We examine conviction and...
Monthly Threat Update August 2022
This month we take a look at the assassination of former Al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and consider what this might mean for the future of the group. We examine conviction and sentencing data from June and July for terrorism charges in Great Britain to help...
Monthly Threat Update June 2022
This month, Pool Re Solutions provides an insight into the use of hostile vehicles by terrorist actors and the threat this method poses in the UK. We also examine conviction and sentencing data for terrorism charges in Great Britain, comparing figures between April...
Monthly Threat Update January 2022
There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month. However, in Texas, a British man took four hostages at a Synagogue and demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist also referred to as “Lady Al Qaeda”. The hostages were released, and the...
The Current State of Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism
It is almost certain that Extreme Right-Wing terrorism will remain a significant terrorism threat in the UK in the long term. It is highly likely that the Extreme Right-Wing terrorism threat has evolved away from structured groups to a more disparate online threat. It...
Neo-Nazi with Home ‘Armoury’ Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges
Author: Lucy Hagger,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 16 September 2024, Alan Edward, 54, was found guilty of planning to commit an act of terrorism {X}. Edward had discussed an attack on a LGBT group in Falkirk, Scotland. The court found Edward possessed and...
Conspiracy Theorist Guilty of Encouraging Terrorism
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 13 September 2024, Patrick Ruane, 55, of London, was found guilty of two counts of encouraging terrorism. Ruane reportedly believed in conspiracy theories about a “hidden agenda” in the government’s...
Germany Faces Increased Terrorism Threat
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes Timeline On 23 August 2024, Issa Al H, 26-years-old, conducted a Bladed Weapons attack in the West German city of Solingen {X}. The individual conducted the attack at approximately 21:40 at a free music...
Arson Attack at French Synagogue
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 24 August 2024, an individual conducted a Fire as a Weapon attack at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, France. Reporting suggests that the individual started fires at two entrances to the...
Islamic State Claim Responsibility for Festival of Diversity Attack
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 23 August 2024, Issa Al H, 26-years-old, conducted a Bladed Weapons attack in the western German city of Solingen {X}. The individual conducted the attack at approximately 21:40 at a free music concert...
British Army Soldier Attacked
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 23 July 2024, at approximately 17:50, a British Army soldier was stabbed in Kent in proximity to Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment....
Anjem Choudary Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 30 July 2024, Anjem Choudary, 57, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years for directing a terrorist organisation and encouraging support for a terrorist organisation following a...
School Student Given Youth Rehabilitation Order
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 16 July 2024, a 16-year-old from Stockton-on-Tees was given a three year Youth Rehabilitation Order and a three year Criminal Behaviour Order, after admitting to possessing Extreme Right-Wing material and...
Teenager Sentenced for Synagogue Attack Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 14 June 2024, Mason Reynolds, 19, of Brighton, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for offences including possessing plans for carrying out an attack on a synagogue near Brighton {X}. Reynolds...
How to Stay Safe During the Festive Period
As the festive period approaches, it is important to remember that the UK faces a diverse and evolving terrorism threat. Among others, the 2016 Berlin Christmas Market and 2018 Strasbourg attacks act as a reminder of the intent of terrorist actors globally to conduct...
Israel and Hamas conflict – the potential impact outside of its borders
“It has always been the case that lots of would-be-terrorists in the UK draw inspiration through their distorted understanding of what is happening in other countries.” - Ken McCallum, Director General of MI5, 2023.[1] The current conflict between Israel and Hamas has...
The King’s Coronation: ‘As we celebrate together, let’s keep each other safe’
Author: Calum Ronald, Senior Risk ConsultantRead Time: 3 minutesThousands of people across the country will be attending celebratory events this weekend, ranging from official Coronation ceremonies in Central London, to local street parties and community events. ‘As...
Manchester Arena Inquiry: If the worst were to happen, would you be adequately prepared?
At 22:31 on 22 May 2017, Salman Abedi detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Attended largely by teenagers and children, the horrifying result was the murder of twenty-two people and injury to over 800 people,...
Martyn’s Law Gov Update Dec 2022
Pool Re welcomes Protect Duty announcement NEWS RELEASE - 19 December 2022Pool Re, Britain’s leading terrorism reinsurer, today welcomes the UK government’s announcement of its upcoming Protect Duty legislation, also known as Martyn’s Law. In a statement yesterday the...
Pool Re and Security in the Aviation Industry
Earlier this year Pool Re's Senior Risk Consultant, Mark Susca, provided an interview to Counter Terror Business to discuss 'Pool Re and Security in the aviation industry'. Mark, you recently joined Pool Re as a Senior Risk Consultant. Tell us a little about your...
Are you Protect Duty prepared?
In the recent Queen's speech, the Government announced they would be introducing a draft terrorism bill called Protect Duty. The implications of the legislation could be far reaching, possibly affecting tens of thousands (if not more) businesses throughout the UK....
Cyber Terrorism: Far-right extremists’ use of social media – an explainer
Our online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The third instalment examines far-right...
Cyber Terrorism: Islamic State’s effective exploitation of social media
Our new online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The second instalment examines IS’ tactics and practices and the impact its social media strategy has on recruitment and propaganda.
Cyber Terrorism: Understanding online radicalisation
Our new online terrorism series explores how terrorist organisations are harnessing the internet to radicalise and train potential recruits, disseminate illegal content, facilitate communication, and incite acts of terrorism. The first article examines the role of the...
The Current State of Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism
It is almost certain that Extreme Right-Wing terrorism will remain a significant terrorism threat in the UK in the long term. It is highly likely that the Extreme Right-Wing terrorism threat has evolved away from structured groups to a more disparate online threat. It...
Terrorist Exploitation of Artificial Intelligence: Current Risks and Future Applications
Artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to have wide ranging, transformational, and often beneficial, impacts on society. However, like all technology, AI also carries the potential for misuse by nefarious actors including Terrorists and Violent Extremists (TVEs)....
Weapons from the Russia-Ukraine War: An Emerging Source of Terrorism Threat in the UK?
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 15 minutes “Our borders are not as secure as they should be and much greater efforts should be made to prevent the illegal transportation of weapons and people into the country. It would be naive in the extreme to...
Exploring the Importance of In-Person Radicalisation to Understand the UK Terrorism Threat
Author: Becca Stewart ASyI, Threat Analyst Read Time: 10 minutes Since 2010, in-person radicalisation has been linked to the majority of significant terrorism-related incidents in the UK. At the same time, rates of online radicalisation have been increasing rapidly...
The Leadership Gap: al-Qa’ida after the Death of Ayman al-Zawahiri
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI, Junior Threat Analyst Read Time: 10 minutes The former leader of al-Qa’ida, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan on 31 July 2022. al-Qa’ida has not yet confirmed the death of al-Zawahiri or announced a new...
Analysis of recent bladed weapon attacks in Europe
Key findings Bladed weapon attacks have become the favoured methodology of terrorists in Europe because they are quick, cheap to execute and hard to prevent; Furthermore, such attacks fulfil the limited objectives of the most prolific terrorist actors: ample media...
Terrorist Use of Drones in the United Kingdom
Executive Summary With the proliferation of the small drones market globally, and the increasing attention drawn to the disruption they can cause when used inappropriately, there is widely held concern that terrorists will seek to use a drone in an attack in the UK. A...
2023 Annual Threat Report
Pool Re’s Annual Threat Report explores the key terrorism trends and events of 2023, provides outlooks for 2024, and assesses the possible drivers of UK terrorism threat going forward. Click the image below to access the full report.
Solutions Annual Review 2021
It feels appropriate, a couple of months after the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, to pause and consider whether the world is more, or less, secure from terrorism than in the latter part of the previous century. I fear not. We are living in unprecedented times, in a...
Terrorism Threat and Mitigation Report 2019
This edition of the Terrorism Threat and Mitigation Report 2019 considers the UK’s threat landscape, Daesh’s strategy following the loss of its so-called ‘Caliphate’, and evaluates the risks posed by unconventional attack methodologies. We also bring you unique...
Terrorism Frequency Report 02/18
This second edition of the Terrorism Frequency Report coincides with the 25th anniversary of the formation of Pool Re. This resource provides Pool Re Members and stakeholders with a record of recent terrorist attacks, detailing their severity and frequency, as well as...
Neo-Nazi with Home ‘Armoury’ Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges
Author: Lucy Hagger,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 16 September 2024, Alan Edward, 54, was found guilty of planning to commit an act of terrorism {X}. Edward had discussed an attack on a LGBT group in Falkirk, Scotland. The court found Edward possessed and...
Conspiracy Theorist Guilty of Encouraging Terrorism
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 13 September 2024, Patrick Ruane, 55, of London, was found guilty of two counts of encouraging terrorism. Ruane reportedly believed in conspiracy theories about a “hidden agenda” in the government’s...
Germany Faces Increased Terrorism Threat
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes Timeline On 23 August 2024, Issa Al H, 26-years-old, conducted a Bladed Weapons attack in the West German city of Solingen {X}. The individual conducted the attack at approximately 21:40 at a free music...
Arson Attack at French Synagogue
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 24 August 2024, an individual conducted a Fire as a Weapon attack at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, France. Reporting suggests that the individual started fires at two entrances to the...
Islamic State Claim Responsibility for Festival of Diversity Attack
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 23 August 2024, Issa Al H, 26-years-old, conducted a Bladed Weapons attack in the western German city of Solingen {X}. The individual conducted the attack at approximately 21:40 at a free music concert...
British Army Soldier Attacked
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 23 July 2024, at approximately 17:50, a British Army soldier was stabbed in Kent in proximity to Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment....
Anjem Choudary Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 30 July 2024, Anjem Choudary, 57, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years for directing a terrorist organisation and encouraging support for a terrorist organisation following a...
School Student Given Youth Rehabilitation Order
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 16 July 2024, a 16-year-old from Stockton-on-Tees was given a three year Youth Rehabilitation Order and a three year Criminal Behaviour Order, after admitting to possessing Extreme Right-Wing material and...
Teenager Sentenced for Synagogue Attack Plot
Author: Oliver Hair ASyI,Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes On 14 June 2024, Mason Reynolds, 19, of Brighton, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for offences including possessing plans for carrying out an attack on a synagogue near Brighton {X}. Reynolds...
Home Office Statistics Reveal Increase in Terrorist-Related Arrests
Author: Felix Foxmore,Senior Threat AnalystRead Time: 3 minutes New figures released by the Home Office reveal that arrests in the UK for terrorism-related offences have increased by almost a quarter. In the year ending 31 March 2024, there were 212 arrests in Great...
Post-Incident Report: Hartlepool Bladed Weapons Attack
Key Points: On 15 October 2023, Ahmed Ali Alid, a 45-year-old Hartlepool-based individual conducted a fatal terrorist attack in Hartlepool town centre, UK. {X} {X} Alid used a Bladed Weapon to attack and injure a housemate before killing a member of the public. Alid...
Dover Firebombing: Post-Incident Report
Image Source: Google (2022) Dover Western Jet Foil. Available at: http://maps.google.co.uk (Accessed: November 2022). When: 11:20 GMT, 30 October 2022 What: 3 crude incendiary devices Where: Dover, UK Who: Andrew Leak; motivated by extreme right-wing ideology Deaths:...
Liverpool Women’s Hospital Taxi Explosion: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
On Sunday 14 November, an explosion occurred in a taxi outside the reception entrance of Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Emad al Swealmeen, the bomber, was the only fatality. The driver of the taxi, who escaped the vehicle immediately after the detonation, suffered minor injuries and was the only other casualty. There was no reported damage to the hospital.
Murder of Sir David Amess MP: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
On 15 October 2021, Sir David Amess MP, a British Conservative politician, was stabbed and killed in a premeditated attack at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea.
Westminster attack: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
The methodology of the Westminster attack is consistent with the current trend across mainland Europe of extremists using a vehicle and weapons against crowded places at iconic sites, targeting figures of authority such as the police. As the UK threat level was not...
UPDATE: Oldsmar Water Facility Attack
An initial RFI was completed for Pool Re and submitted on 15 February 2021. The following supplement provides additional insight into the attack and expands on evidence made public since the initial submission. Section 1: Actor Identity and Motivation Due to the...
Oldsmar Water Facility Attack: Post-Incident Report
Section 1: Incident Report On 5 February 2021, unidentified hackers remotely accessed the water treatment plant of Oldsmar, a small Florida city of 15,000 people in the Tampa Bay area, and briefly changed the levels of lye sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in the drinking...
Post Incident Report: Bladed Weapon attack, Forbury Park, Reading
When: 20 June 2020 Where: Reading, Berkshire Who: Khairi Saadallah What: Bladed weapons attack against civilians Deaths: 3 Injuries: 3 Type: Terrorist attack Summary A terrorist armed with a knife killed three people and wounded three others in Forbury Park in...
COVID-19 and terrorism: assessing the short-and long-term impacts
By Andrew Silke, Professor of Risk and Resilience at Cranfield University Summary The COVID-19 pandemic is already having a significant impact on terrorism in a variety of ways. There is a mixed picture on the level of attacks in the short-term lockdown measures will...
Streatham Bladed Weapon Attack: Terrorism Post-Incident Report
When: 02 February 2020 Where: Streatham, London Who: Islamist extremist - Sudesh Amman What: Bladed weapons attack against civilians Deaths: 0 Injuries: 3 Type: Terrorist attack Summary: At 14:00 on Sunday, 02 February, a man armed with a large knife stabbed and...
9.11 Two Decades of Disruption docufilm
2021 year marks the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic 9.11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more. It is a day in history that should never be forgotten nor repeated. IFTRIP, in collaboration with the US Treasury, presents 9.11: TWO...
COVID-19: Highlighting the CBR threat
COVID-19 has highlighted the threat of terrorists using CBR materials. Could this present a worrying new peril to business and the economy? Join Ed Butler CBE DSO - Chief Resilience Officer, Pool Re, and our expert team of panellists: Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE...
Webinar: COVID-19 and terrorism
Andrew Silke, Pool Re and Cranfield University’s Professor of Terrorism Risk Management and Resilience assesses, in the attached report, the short and long term impacts and potential consequences of COVID-19 on terrorist actors, target types and methodologies. This...
Pool Re and Security in the Aviation Industry
Earlier this year Pool Re's Senior Risk Consultant, Mark Susca, provided an interview to Counter Terror Business to discuss 'Pool Re and Security in the aviation industry'. Mark, you recently joined Pool Re as a Senior Risk Consultant. Tell us a little about your...
Sector Risk Report: Airports
Our new sector-specific risk report examines the terrorist threat to the airports sector and how it has changed post pandemic. This report is intended to share a more comprehensive understanding of the threat landscape surrounding airports, their possible...
Sector Risk Report: Retail and Hospitality
Our latest sector-focused risk report examines the evolving terrorist threat to the retail and hospitality sector. This report is intended to provide a better understanding of the terrorist threat to owners and managers of businesses in the sector, so they can...
Sector Risk Report: Public Transport
As one of a series of focused sector risk reports, Pool Re SOLUTIONS, has examined the evolving threat to the Public Transport sector from terrorism. This report will be of particular interest to operators and responsible persons who manage or operate in the public...
The Importance of NDBI Cover
"It'll never happen here" - we have worked with ITN and BIBA to produce this compelling short film. The aim is to help small businesses (SMEs) understand the impact of not having terrorism insurance in place, if the worst should happen. Centred in Borough Market, the...
BIBA Terrorism Insurance Guide
BIBA Terrorism Guide Pool Re was delighted to be asked to be a key contributor for this BIBA Terrorism Insurance Guide. We recognise the vital role insurance brokers play in ensuring commercial policyholders obtain the most appropriate insurance cover for their...
Manchester Arena Attack, 22 May 2017: Study into the Impact on Small Businesses
Pool Re undertook a case study[1] into the impact of the Manchester Arena attack on small businesses in the area. The study also investigated what, if any, protective measures in terms of insurance, businesses were aware of. Research revealed that some businesses...