London: The UK government Sunday warned of at least two more years of severe terrorism threat to the country as it prepares to unveil tougher new measures to monitor terror suspects.
UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid is set to announce a range of steps aimed at strengthening the powers available to security agencies to prevent attacks, from Islamist as well as extreme right-wing terror groups.
“In summary, we expect the threat from Islamist terrorism to remain at its current, heightened level for at least the next two years, and that it may increase further,” the UK Home Office said ahead of the announcement Monday.
“We assess the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism is growing. Globally, terrorist groups and networks of all ideologies continue to develop organically, exploiting social media, technology and science to further their aims and ambitions,” it added. As part of the new package of counter-terrorism measures, British terror suspects will be monitored more closely and convicted terrorists given longer prison sentences.
Technology companies will be called on to do more to tackle extremist content posted online, while new powers will be introduced to fast-track terror suspects to jail before they have finalised any plans for an attack.
Javid is also expected to announce a new approach to targeting the growing threat of right-wing extremism. His keynote speech follows a review of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, known as Contest, and coincides with the anniversary of the Islamic State claimed vehicle and knife attack in London Bridge and Borough Market areas of the British capital June 3 last year.
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