Glasgow Airport car attack 'was terrorism'
01.07.07
An incident in which a car was driven at Glasgow Airport's main terminal and burst into flames yesterday afternoon is being treated as a terror attack by police. Strathclyde Police also said the attack was being linked with the car bombs found in central London on Friday.
Chief Constable Willie Rae said: 'We believe the incident is linked to events in London yesterday. There are clearly similarities and we can confirm this is being treated as a terrorist incident. There was no prior intelligence to suggest that Scotland was going to be the target of a terror attack.'
Two men were arrested following the attack on the airport at 15:15 yesterday. Two further arrests were made in Cheshire in connection with the incident in Glasgow and the car bombs found in London's West End. Anti-terror police from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command assisted by officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit made the arrests, Scotland Yard said.
Mr Rae earlier told a news conference in Glasgow that the suspect at the city's Royal Alexandra Hospital was being treated for severe burns and was in a critical condition. He said a 'suspect device' had been found on the suspect, and 'as a consequence of that, the hospital was partly evacuated until the device was removed and put into a safe area.'
Experts later found the item was not linked to any explosive and it was declared safe. Mr Rae said the second man was being detained in police custody.
The vehicle at Glasgow airport is now considered safe, and will be subject to full forensic investigation as part of the ongoing police investigation. It is expected to be removed later this morning. A detailed search is still continuing within the airport and the area will remain cordoned off until this is complete.
Police forces across the country are on high alert after the national terrorism threat level was increased to critical - its highest state of alert. Meanwhile Scottish police searched houses near Glasgow early this morning and said the searches were linked to Saturday's attack on Glasgow airport and two failed car bombings in London. A Reuters witness saw officers wearing white overalls, coming in and out of a semi-detached house in the town of Houston, Renfrewshire about six miles west of Glasgow.
All flights to and from the airport were suspended after the attack, but it reopened to incoming flights at 07:37 when a plane from Ibiza landed, and first departure is expected at 09:00. Anyone due to fly today should confirm the status of their flight with their airline before leaving for the airport.
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