Britain raises terror threat from Irish militants, says attack is a strong possibility

UK raises terror alert due to Irish dissidents

LONDON — Britain has raised its terror alert, saying the threat of violence from Irish dissidents has risen to a point where an attack is “a strong possibility.”

The Home Office says change was made Friday from “moderate” to “substantial” — the middle rung on the government’s five-point threat scale.

Last week the head of the MI5 spy agency warned that dissidents who reject Northern Ireland’s peace process could strike mainland British cities for the first time since 2001.