Isis supporters call for 'Manchester-like' lone wolf attacks at Wimbledon tennis tournament

A pro-Isis channel on messaging service Telegram is calling for lone wolf attacks to be carried out at Wimbledon, an intelligence security service has said.

The Isis terror group, which controls territories in countries across the Middle East and Africa, has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Europe in the past years.

"A pro-Islamic State (IS) Telegram channel incited for lone-wolf attacks during the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, sharing a map of the venue and suggesting for them to 'copycat' the May 22, 2017 Manchester Arena bombing," SITE Intelligence Group said in a statement seen by IBTimes UK.

The channel, "Lone Mujahid", suggested lone wolves should attack children of "the bani 'asfar [the Romans]" and replicate the attack occurred in Manchester, when suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed at least 22 people, including children, at the Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May. It also shared a picture of the Manchester Arena.

The UK has been targeted by several terror attacks in the past few months. Last month, one person was killed and another ten injured when Darren Osborne rammed a van into pedestrians outside a mosque in Seven Sisters Road in London.

The attack took place just days after at least seven people were killed and 48 injured in a knife and a vehicle assault in London bridge in June.

In March, at least four people were killed when British-born Khalid Masood ploughed his car into innocent pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and outside the Palace of Westminster.

Following the London Bridge terror attack, Prime Minister Theresa May said: "Since the emergence of the threat from Islamist-inspired terrorism, our country has made significant progress in disrupting plots and protecting the public.

"But it is time to say enough is enough. Everybody needs to go about their lives as they normally would. Our society should continue to function in accordance with our values. But when it comes to taking on extremism and terrorism, things need to change," she continued.

"As a country, our response must be as it has always been when we have been confronted by violence. We must come together, we must pull together, and united we will take on and defeat our enemies."

The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is "severe", meaning that an attack is highly likely.