MI5 hikes Northern Ireland terror threat level to ‘severe’

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.’s MI5 intelligence service has raised the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland’ to “severe.” It comes amid an increase in activity by dissident Irish republican militants. Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means an attack is considered highly likely. The threat had stood one notch lower at “substantial” for the past year. Paramilitary groups put down their arms after the 1998 Good Friday peace accord largely ended three decades of violent conflict in Northern Ireland. But small Irish Republican Army splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks. Last month, senior police officer John Caldwell was shot by two masked men as he coached a children’s soccer team in the town of Omagh.