The MI5 chief highlights the growing danger of reemerging terrorism activities led by ISIS and al Qaeda.
Over a third of MI5's recent top investigations involve connections to foreign terrorist groups, as per Director General Ken McCallum's speech in London. ISIS, particularly, is reportedly reviving its attempts to spread terrorism externally.
More than one out of every eight individuals under investigation by the agency for terrorism involvement are minors, McCallum shared, indicating a three-fold surge since 2021.
McCallum's speech comes following a series of alerts issued by the West about the growing threat of state-sanctioned sabotage from countries like Russia and Iran. Furthermore, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are intensifying global security concerns.
On Tuesday, McCallum stated that the Russian GRU intelligence agency is persistently engaged in a "continuous undertaking" to induce disorder on British and European streets. Their operations encompass arson, sabotage, and additional disruptive activities.
McCallum also disclosed that MI5 and British law enforcement has thwarted 20 Iran-supported terror plots in the UK since the beginning of 2022.
"MI5 has an immense task at hand," McCallum asserted. "The first twenty years of my career here were marked by an abundance of terrorist threats. Now, we confront these threats alongside state-sponsored assassination and sabotage attempts, amidst a significant European land conflict."
Such addresses by the domestic intelligence head are somewhat infrequent and are commonly utilized to inform the British public about the nature of the terrorism risk facing the nation.
For years, the GRU has been accused by the West of orchestrating high-profile and audacious attacks, such as cyberattacks, US presidential election meddling, and the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent assault in England.
In February, FBI Director Christopher Wray declared that the American agency had disrupted a network of more than 1,000 hacked internet routers which the GRU was employing for cyber-espionage operations against the United States and its European allies.
"If you receive funding from Iran, Russia, or any other state to carry out unlawful acts in the UK, you will face the full force of the national security apparatus," McCallum stated on Tuesday. "This is a decision you will come to regret."
This story is still evolving. It will be updated.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh contributed to this report.
The UK plays a significant role in addressing global terrorist threats, as evident in McCallum's discussion of international connections in MI5 investigations.
The world is faced with a complex web of terrorism and state-sponsored threats, with McCallum mentioning challenges from groups like ISIS and nations such as Russia and Iran.
