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 hostage taker was killed by the FBI. A number of arrests have been made in the UK in relation to the incident.
Damian Hinds MP, Home Office Minister for Security and Borders, has this month released a report summarising the findings of the public consultation for the proposed Protect Duty legislation. The legislation, which will require owners/operators of Publicly Accessible Locations to take measures to protect the public against terrorism, received significant support and it is anticipated a Bill will go before Parliament later this year.
Following the 2015 terror attack in Tunisia, the holiday firm, TUI, have reached a settlement with survivors of the attack, although a judge had previously ruled that TUI were not blame for the deaths. The settlement was reached without any admission of liability or fault on TUI’s part.
Elsewhere, the use of explosive laden drones in both the UAE and Iraq again highlights the threat of terrorist use of drones. Although these attacks were not against Western targets, the continued interest in drones demonstrates a clear intent by terrorists to utilise the technology.
There has also been a conviction in Great Britain this month in relation to a 2018 incident in Edinburgh involving the use of an IED. The man, understood to have links.
Read the full update here
