British Jihadists Threaten 'New 7/7' over Air Strikes

British jihadists in Syria have threatened a “new 7/7” attack in the UK in revenge for air strikes against Islamic State fighters.

Speaking over social media, the fighters threatened ordinary British people with mass bombings similar to the attacks in London on 7 July 2005 that killed 52 people, according to a report in the Times.

Shiraz Maher of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) said: “The jihadists are saying that the UK is putting itself in the firing line because of UK intervention.” Referring to one British jihadist who threatened further terror attacks in the UK, Maher said: “This man is with a group of British fighters. I would classify him as one of the more moderate ones and yet this is what he is saying.”

The fighter had tweeted: “Tell the Brit govt to withdraw unless they want the days of 7/7, and Adebolajo [to] become regular days,” referring to Michael Adebolajo, one of the extremists who murdered soldier Lee Rigby in broad daylight on a London street last year.

Another fighter from Coventry, who calls himself Abu Musab al-Jazairi, warned: “To the people in the UK — because of the actions of your government it will be you who will pay the price, blame them and not us.

“Everything and everyone will be targeted, it is only a matter of time before it happens inshallah [God willing].”

ICSR also said that a jihadist fighting with the Nusra front told them radicalised Brits who want to fight for in Syria may now choose to stay home and launch attacks in the UK. He said it was “showdown time against the barbaric Yankees and their poodles,” adding: “I doubt if British Isis supporters & loyalists planning to go to Iraq and Sham [Syria] would want to go now. They could start attacking all round the UK. Cameroun (sic) is a dumb puppy.”

He said that as long as Britain attacks jihadist positions, the Nusra front, which is a sometime-ally and sometime-rival of Islamic State, will be committed to revenge attacks.

The Times says that at least four British jihadists have died in air strikes in Syria since the US began operations last month. Three of the dead are believed to be from the London borough of Tower Hamlets, while the fourth is from Brighton.

All were fighting with the Nusra front group, rather than the self-proclaimed Islamic State.