More Muslims from Britain trained as terrorists than ever before, says MI5
More Britons trained as terrorists than ever before, Britain’s intelligence agency MI5 has recently said.
There are more Britons trained in terrorism than at any point in the country’s history in a growing threat to national security, the intelligence body has warned.
The Security Service said the number of UK-linked suspects involved in or exposed to terror training or fighting with fanatics is “unprecedented”.
The scale of British jihadists who have flocked to Syria to fight alongside ISIS has been the driving force behind the rise.
It is feared more than 700 Britons have travelled to Syria, half of who have already returned to the UK, posing a threat here.
That is on top of those who previously travelled to al-Qaeda strongholds in Pakistan, Afghanistan, East Africa and Yemen as well as the growing Irish dissident Republican threat.
Spy chiefs revealed the alarming picture in evidence to David Anderson QC as part of his nine-month review in to snooping powers.
He said MI5 had warned that more people have now gone to Syria than any other terrorist theatre in the 21st century.
According to the agency, the report disclosed: “The threat posed on their return comprises not just attack planning but radicalization of associates, facilitation and fundraising, all of which exacerbate the threat.
“The number of UK-linked individuals who are involved in or been exposed to terrorist training and fighting is higher than it has been at any point since the 9/11 attacks.
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