Archive · 11 Sep 2026
MI5 Chief Warns Next Terror Shock May Emerge Unseen
Ken McCallum leads Britain’s MI5 security agency.
He warned that a very large terrorist attack could be planned in a place that security agencies are not watching closely.
He said future attacks may look very different from the September 11 attacks.
Agencies should learn from the past but not focus only on old enemies and methods.
McCallum said al-Qaeda and other militant groups still want to cause mass casualties.
He pointed to a recently stopped plot involving planned gun attacks in Manchester.
He also warned that hostile states could use criminals or cyberattacks to damage important services.
He said governments, businesses and universities must work together to find weaknesses and respond quickly.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned that a future 9/11-scale attack could already be developing outside intelligence agencies’ focus.
He said security services must learn from past attacks without preparing only for yesterday’s threats, methods or targets.
McCallum said al-Qaeda and other militants still aspire to carry out mass-casualty attacks.
He cited a recently foiled Islamist plot involving planned gun attacks against Manchester’s Jewish community.
He also warned of rising state-backed aggression, including sabotage by criminal proxies and cyberattacks on power stations.
- Who
- Ken McCallum, Director General of Britain’s MI5, and the security agencies, governments, businesses and academia he urged to cooperate.
- What
- McCallum warned that a future strategic shock comparable to 9/11 could be developing beyond current intelligence attention.
- When
- On Friday, in commentary marking 25 years since the 9/11 attacks.
- Where
- In an opinion piece published by The Independent; the potential future threat’s location was not identified.
- Why
- To urge intelligence services and other organizations to adapt to changing terrorist and state-backed threats before a crisis occurs.
- Speaker
- Ken McCallum, Director General of MI5
- Occasion
- The 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks
- Past attack referenced
- The 2001 al-Qaeda attacks involving hijacked passenger jets in New York and at the Pentagon
- Terrorist threat
- Al-Qaeda and other militants’ continuing aspiration to conduct mass-casualty attacks
- Recent example
- A foiled Islamist plot involving planned gun attacks on Manchester’s Jewish community
- State-backed threats
- Sabotage by criminal proxies and cyberattacks on power stations
- Recommended response
- Governments, businesses and academia should cooperate to identify vulnerabilities and respond quickly