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The U.K. on Thursday raised its national threat level from “substantial” to “severe” following a stabbing attack a day earlier that wounded two Jewish men in Golders Green, a residential area in northwest London. Officials cited the increasing threat of Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorism in the country.
In a government statement, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the attack as “abhorrent” and a “vile act of terrorism.”
“I know this will be a source of concern to many, particularly among our Jewish community, who have suffered so much,” the statement reads.
Metropolitan Police said Friday that Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder in connection with the stabbings. He is a British national who was born in Somalia and came to the U.K. as a child, according to French news agency AFP.
The attack has been formally declared a terrorist incident.
“The increase in threat comes following yesterday’s stabbing in Golders Green in North London, but it is not solely a result of that attack. The terrorist threat level in the UK has been rising for some time,” the government’s statement said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also expressed solidarity with the Jewish community.
“We are doing everything possible to protect our city and keep all of our communities safe,” the mayor said in a statement on X.
He noted that the ‘severe” rating is “the second-highest level of security preparedness in the UK and means an attack is highly likely.”
Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS
The stabbing incident came a month after an arson attack in the same area targeted four emergency response vehicles belonging to an independent Jewish community ambulance service.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Golders Green and met with emergency responders on Thursday, as some local residents protested and called on the government to do more to protect the community.
“No one here is shocked or surprised that this has happened,” Dov Forman, a 22-year-old author and activist, told CBS News. “We all knew after previous attacks that this was not a question of if there would be another attack, but simply when.”
