It reflected persistent efforts by the Islamic State since its rise in 2014 to hit targets once thought unassailable — especially in Britain. The earliest instances involved would-be attackers who had ideological affinity for the Islamic State but no direct communication with the group. But by 2015, investigation records reveal, plotters began tapping the inner core of a network of Islamic State online coaches. He tracked the evolution of Islamic State plots in Britain in a report for West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center. That was the Islamic State’s first successful attack in Britain.

Source: New York Times June 10, 2017 23:03 UTC