The attack in Westminster, Wednesday
AMAQ news agency has said that Islamic State carried out yesterday’s terror attack. Islamic State usually claims such attacks but does not necessarily mean that they did.
In a tweet, the AMAQ agency said: “A soldier for the Islamic State carried out the operation in answer to calls to target the people of coalition states.”
The way in which the tweet has been phrased, suggests that the attacked was inspired by IS, but necessarily trained by IS.
The Prime Minister speaking in the House of Commons today said:
“His identity is known to the police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow, he will be publicly identified.
“What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism.
“He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture.
“There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot.”
The director general of MI5, Andrew Parker, said that the security service’s operational response has been “fully mobilised”.
He added: “The thoughts of the men and women of MI5 are with the families of those killed in Westminster yesterday, and with the other innocent people injured in this appalling and disgusting attack.”
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