London tube attack: ISIS claims responsibility, Britain raises security threat level to critical

London tube attack:: Armed police close to Parsons Green station in west London after an explosion on a packed London Underground train on Friday. (source: AP)

Islamic state militant group, which had earlier claimed responsibility for several attacks on Western cities in recent years, claimed it was responsible for London underground tube blast on Friday morning. The militant group, which had this year claimed their role in attacks in London and Manchester, said, “The bombing on a metro in London was carried out by a detachment of the Islamic State” group, in a statement published by its Amaq propaganda agency. Currently, the officials have no evidence to verify the claim. According to a report by Reuters, Western Intelligence officers have questioned similar claims in the past, saying that the ideology of Islamic State may have inspired the attackers, but no evidence has been found on whether the attack was orchestrated by ISIS.

Speaking to reporters, Britain’s top counter-terrorism officer, Mark Rowley, said, “It is very routine in these sort of circumstances for IS to claim responsibility, whether or not they have had any previous engagement with the individuals involved.”

On Friday, a home-made bomb on jam-packed commuter train in London engulfed a carriage in flames, injuring 29 people. According to reports, the bomb failed to fully explode, causing lesser damage than intended. The incident is being considered as Britain’s fifth major terrorism incident this year. The blast took place at 8:20 am when the train was about to depart Parsons Green station in West London, causing massive panic as passengers started fleeing in panic. While some of the passengers suffered burns, others were injured in the ensuing stampede. According to health officials cited by Reuters, no one was seriously injured in the ttack.

Rowley told reporters that the counter-terrorism agencies are on the lookout for suspects behind the attack. “We are chasing down suspects. Somebody has planted this improvised explosive device on the Tube: we have to be open-minded at this stage about him and about potential associates,” he said.

Britian Prime Minister Theresa May described the incident as a “cowardly attack” and raised the national level threat to its highest level, “critical”. She returned to London to chair a meeting of government’s emergency response committee. In a televised statement, May added that ‘armed police and members of the military will be deployed at public places, while military personnel will replace police officers on guard duties at certain protected sites.’