London faces Mumbai-style terror attack: Scotland Yard

H S Rao

London, Dec 20 (PTI) In a "severest" warning, the
Scotland Yard has said that London faces threat of a Mumbai-
style terror attack at key places early next year with the
terrorists poised to strike the city using handguns, bombs and
hostage-taking techniques.

"Mumbai is coming to London," warned a senior
detective from SO15, the Metropolitan police's
counter-terrorism command.
In a briefing here 12 days ago, the detective said
companies should expect a "shooting and hostage-taking raid
involving a small number of gunmen with handguns and
improvised explosive devices."
The severest warning issued by police following the
26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai has underlined an assessment
that a terrorist cell may be preparing an attack on London
early next year, The Sunday Times reported Sunday.
In Mumbai, 10 heavily-armed gunmen of Pakistan-based
Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group struck at many places in November
last year, killing 166 people and wounding 304 others.
Chairman of the Commons counter-terrorism
sub-committee Patrick Mercer said the threat was "very real".
The warning was issued by the Metropolitan police
through its network of "security forums", which provide
business leaders, local government and the emergency services
with counter-terrorism advice.


Officials now report an increase in "intelligence
chatter" -- communications captured by electronic
eavesdropping agencies.
One senior security adviser said the police warnings
had intensified and become much more specific in the past
fortnight. "Before, there has been speculation. Now we are
getting what appears to be a definite plot to carry out a
firearms attack on London," the unnamed adviser said.
According to the newspaper, concerns had been raised
by "chatter" of a prominent 'jihadist' website two weeks ago.
One contributor suggested automatic weapons could be
used to strike nightclubs, sporting venues and Jewish centres.
In an online discussion on December 2, another
contributor invited suggestions for carrying out "guerrilla
warfare" and proposed "a group of mujaheddin raid on police
stations and fire at them".
Another said: "If machine guns are available, and
explosive and expertise for (explosives) are not available,
this is a good way. The (Mumbai) operation is the ideal
scenario for operations you are talking about."
A third contributor said targets should be "chosen in
a studied manner". "In general, targeting economic joints and
intelligence centres if possible has priority over police
stations." In Mumbai, many victims were killed in the first
half hour of the attack.
The Metropolitan police is concerned that it will be
much longer before the Special Air Service, which has
traditionally dealt with terrorist sieges in London, would
arrive from its base at Regent's Park barracks. PTI HSR