Examining Jihad in the United Kingdom

June 3 marks the United Kingdom’s third terrorist attack  in the past three months. The most recent attack occurred in London in the late evening when a vehicle drove into pedestrians on the London Bridge and proceeded to the crowded Borough Market where the terrorists attacked civilians, stabbing several. 7 people were killed and 48 injured. The British police shot and killed the three assailants on site and another dozen have been arrested in association with the attack.

Authorities have publically named the three attackers: Rachid Redouane, Khuram Butt, and Youssef Zaghba. Redouane, a Moroccan and Libyan, was unknown to security services before the attack. Butt, a Pakistani-born British citizen, was known and listed as one of the approximately 23,000 alleged jihadists living in Britain who are currently under observation on suspicion of terror ties. Zaghba, a Moroccan-Italian, was claimed to have not been “a person of interest” by British police forces prior to the attack; however, it is reported that British officials had been warned by Italian authorities about Zaghba after he was stopped at a Bologna airport on suspicion that he was heading to Syria.

On its Amaq news agency, the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack though currently there is little solid evidence for this assertion. A witness of the attack states that the attackers cried out “this is for Allah” during the attack verifying the attackers’ jihadist motivations.

The three attacks that have occurred in the UK over the past three months all seem to be motivated by jihad and the fight for Islam.

The attack in London mirrors Khalid Masood’s car and knife attack in Westminster on March 22. While direct ties to IS have yet to be found, it is suggested that Masood was inspired by its propaganda.

Additionally, the terrorism in London comes less than two weeks after the Manchester suicide bombing which killed 22 people. Though the bomber, Salman Abedi, acted alone he reportedly met with members associated with IS in Libya a month leading up to the attack.

Direct connections between London, Westminster, and Manchester have yet to be made. IS involvement is certainly a possibility given the leading role it has played in recent jihadist attacks in Europe.

Beginning as early as 2005 with the London bombings, terrorist groups have gained a steady presence in the UK. Terror cells such as IS and Al Qaeda have grown and built a solid foundation for themselves throughout the years, often with the assistance of Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which works to promote sharia and materially and politically supports Sunni Jihadist groups.

This solid foundation has allowed groups like IS to move out of its clandestine operations into full-blown insurgency and as Frank Gaffney, President of the Center for Security Policy noted move “up to the next level” in their effort to impose what Gaffney called “Sharia Supremacism.”

The threat level for international terrorism in Britain has been labeled as severe. British Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed that five terrorist plots have been thwarted in the past three months. Since 2013, British authorities have disrupted a total of 18 terrorist plots.

Though terrorism is not novel to Britain, the recent uptick in attacks may be linked to the upcoming election, scheduled to take place Thursday, June 8. This puts Britain in the public eye that can work to heighten the effect of any attack, and creates the possibility a terror attack could alter the election outcome, as was the case with the 2004 Madrid train bombings. Additionally, IS and other Islamist groups averse to Western democracy have reportedly advised civilians to forego voting.

The London attack comes as IS vies to retain control in Mosul. Some argue that its movement in Europe has to do with it “losing its empire.” However, the London attack illustrates the exact opposite.

Though IS is under pressure in places such as Mosul, it is far from losing control of its global influence. It has built a strong presence in the West and this presence is only expanding.

A large part of IS’s success has to do with its unmatched ability to recruit the youth through its successful propaganda and ability to appeal to religious idealists. Additionally, it has a strong global network that works to build and promote a global Caliphate.

As Gaffney warns, countries like the United States are on the “same trajectory” as Europe, and need to be prepared for a comparable uptick in the number and severity of jihadist attacks.