Behind the train attack in Cambridgeshire, the same logic of “low cost” jihadist attacks: simple weapons, mass panic, civilian targets. The operational model is that of Isis and Hamas
A violent knife attack on a line train London North Eastern Railway (LNER) caused panic on Saturday evening near HuntingdonIn the Cambridgeshire (Great Britain). Ten people they were rushed to hospital with stab wounds; British Transport Police sources indicate that most of the victims suffered serious injuries and that some are fighting for their lives. Two people were arrested at the scene. According to reconstructions, the train has been in service since Doncaster towards London King’s Cross — had stopped at Peterborough shortly before the attack began. Witnesses report that the attackers were in possession of a «large knives»: frightened passengers would have hidden in the bathrooms, others would have been trampled in the escape. Videos posted on social media show arriving police convoys and armed officers descending onto the tracks at around 7.42pm; some witnesses say they saw a man being immobilized with a taser. The intervention of the police was massive: around thirty police officers British Transport Police (BTP) rushed to the scene, land ambulances and two air ambulances intervened, and an impressive forensic police device was activated (with units in white uniforms and dogs) while a drone flew over the scene. The streets and car parks of the station have been cordoned off and the A1307 it remained closed for hours. The company LNER has issued a “do not travel” warning, predicting inconvenience for the rest of the day. The BTP classified the incident as a “serious incident” and informed that the anti-terrorism police had opened an investigation. It was initially declared a “Plato Code” – an operational term used by police and emergency services when a terrorist attack is suspected – but that warning was later withdrawn, underlining the fluidity of information in the early stages of the emergency. Chief Superintendent Chris Casey described the incident as “a shocking incident” and urged people not to speculate. The prime minister Sir Keir Starmer he spoke of a “scary event”, expressing closeness to the victims and thanking the emergency services. The Minister of the Interior Shabana Mahmood she said she was “deeply saddened” and confirmed that “two suspects were immediately arrested.”
The dynamics – close attack in a crowded and transit place such as a train, use of an easily available edged weapon, intent to create collective panic – recalls an operational model already seen in attacks claimed or inspired by groups such as Islamic State and, in different contexts, by cells or militias linked to Hamas. Both movements have in the past claimed and encouraged the use of simple weapons (knives, vehicles, improvised tools) to attack public and symbolic spaces: the choice falls on low-cost and low-tech tools that allow rapid and difficult to prevent action, especially in highly crowded areas. However, it is important to distinguish between tactical analogy and responsibility: the fact that a mode of action is “typical” of certain groups does not automatically constitute proof of a direct link or ideological inspiration. This is why the anti-terrorism police are investigating, collecting forensic evidence on the tracks and analyzing video materials and traces left at the station. The authorities have repeatedly urged us to avoid speculation in the initial stages of the investigation. The checks will have to establish the real number of attackers, the motive and whether anyone acted on commission, imitation or alone. They will be fundamental the analysis of those arrestedthe control of mobile devices, the surveillance images of the train and the station, and any element that could shed light on possible links to extremist networks. The revocation of Plato Code at an early stage it shows how the investigators proceed with caution until the outcome of the first checks. The evening of Huntingdon reopens the dossier on the vulnerability of public transport to acts of rapid and sudden violence. The use of knives in attacks like this — in addition to the human toll — has a broad symbolic and psychological impact: it affects users’ perception of daily safety and requires a reflection on the prevention measures and readiness of law enforcement in guarding critical infrastructures. The investigations will continue in the next few hours; at the moment the priorities are the complete identification of the victims, the determination of the motive and the verification of any possible connection with radical organizations which are present in large numbers in England.
