British authorities have raised the country's terrorism threat level to "severe" after the explosion of a taxi outside a hospital was ruled a terrorist incident. The upgrade in the threat level on Monday from "substantial" to "severe" indicates the authorities believe an attack is highly likely. It comes a day after a blast at Liverpool's Women's Hospital which Russ Jackson, the head of Counterterrorism Policing in northwest England, said involved an improvised explosive device. Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the attack as "sickening" during a televised press conference on Monday afternoon, originally called to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. "My thoughts remain will all those affected, and, on behalf of the whole country, I want to pay tribute to the emergency services who responded as always with such speed and professionalism," Johnson said. "But what yesterday showed above all is that the British people will never be cowed by terrorism. We will never give in to those who seek to divide us with senseless acts of violence, and our freedoms and our way of life will always prevail," he added. The explosion on Sunday morning killed the taxi's male passenger and injured the driver. Police said in a statement that their inquiries indicate "that the [explosive] device was brought into the cab by the passenger". They named the passenger on Monday evening as 32-year-old Emad Al Swealmeen. They also said that four men — aged 29, 26, 21, and 20 — were detained in the Kensington area of the northwestern English city under the Terrorism Act. Officers also cordoned off another residential street in the city. They did not disclose details of the operation, although they said that "significant items have been found and further searches will be necessary" in the coming days. The explosion occurred just before 11 am on Remembrance Sunday, the time people across Britain traditionally pause in a two-minute silence in memory of those killed in wars. The head of the fire service for Merseyside, the metropolitan area including Liverpool, said the vehicle was in flames when emergency services arrived on the scene. The hospital said patients would be moved to other hospitals until further notice, adding that ambulances would still be authorized to bring emergency cases. Police urged the public to "remain calm but vigilant." — Agencies
