British troops are being deployed across the UK following the suicide bombing at the Ariana Grande concert — due to fears that a “further attack may be imminent,” Prime Minister Theresa May said Tuesday.
The UK terror threat level has been officially raised from severe to critical, the highest level, as authorities deal with the fallout from the first attack, ITV reports.
Officials believe 22-year-old Salman Abedi may have been part of a wider terrorist cell, which could be planning another strike.
“It is a possibility we cannot ignore that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack,” May said, adding that a “further attack may be imminent.”
“The change in the threat level means there will be additional resources and support made available to the police as they work to keep us all safe,” she explained.
Thousands of armed military personnel are being sent to various areas around the UK to support and replace local officers, as part of a well-established plan known as “Operation Temperer.”
The move comes as investigators continue to try and figure out if Abedi acted alone on Monday night, when he blew himself up inside Manchester Arena — killing 22 people and wounding scores more.
The UK terror level had previously stood at severe, the second-highest level, for several years before being raised Tuesday to critical.
May is the first Prime Minister to implement Operation Temperer since the plan was devised in 2015.
“You might also see military personnel deployed at certain events, such as concerts and sports matches, helping the police to keep the public safe,” she explained. “In all circumstances, members of the armed forces who are deployed in this way will be under the command of police officers.”