Paris attacks: UK's emergency security committee Cobra to meet after Charlie Hebdo massacre
Britain's security level is currently on 'Severe' having been raised in August
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Your support makes all the difference.The UK’s emergency committee Cobra will meet this morning in the wake of the massacre of 12 people in an attack on a satirical French magazine by suspected Islamic radicals in Paris.
France has raised its terror alert system to the maximum – Attack Alert – and placed roughly 800 extra soldiers outside media offices, places of worship and other possible targets.
Home Secretary Theresa May will chair the meeting with government ministers, police and security advisors discussing how best to co-ordinate action after the Paris attack.
Prime Minister David Cameron was briefed by MI5 and MI6 last night, offering French forces any assistance required.
Britain’s threat level was raised to ‘Severe’ in August, which meant that an attack is “high likely” and could occur without warning.
The Foreign Office website has amended its advice for travellers. “If you’re in Paris or the Ile de France area, take extra care and follow the security advice issued by the French authorities,” the summary now reads, warning there is a “high threat from terrorism” and that “attacks could be indiscriminate”.
Mr Cameron joined other leaders in condemning the attack, calling it “sickening”.
Eight journalists, two policemen, a maintenance man and a visitor to the paper were killed yesterday at around 11.30am after two masked and armed gunmen forced their way into the offices of Charlie Hebdo.
Bystanders told reporters that the attackers ran out of the building shouting “Allahu Akbar” or ‘God is Great’.
A national manhunt for two men, named as 32 and 34 year old brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, is continuing after an 18-year-old handed himself in yesterday. The men, one of whom has a previous terror conviction, are said to be “armed and dangerous” according to France’s Prime Minister Francois Valls.
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