UK: Soldiers guarding Heathrow’s perimeter against missile attacks
Troops were ordered to Heathrow Airport by Tony Blair because of a “specific warning of a missile attack on aircraft”, according to reports.
As reported by News From Abroad, more than 400 soldiers were deployed to the airport along with armoured vehicles and machine guns.
While Scotland Yard nor the Government would reveal exact details of the threat, terror expert have suggested that it may be a missile attack on an aircraft similar to one carrier out by Al-Qaida in Kenya last year.
A spokesman for Jane’s Airport Review said in a statement: “The key here is perimeter security; we can put all sorts of technology and security in airports but it does not take an Einstein to work out that you can park around the perimeter and launch something like a missile.”
In addition to the deployment of troops, some 1,000 extra police are now on duty at Heathrow, and officers have been stopping and searching vehicles on all roads around the perimeter of the airport.
