LONDON – Al-Shabaab’s planned terror attack on major London shopping areas has been disrupted due to planned engineering work on the underground this weekend.
The Somali terror group had planned to hit Oxford Street, but were not aware the Victoria line was down and Central Line trains would be severely delayed after signal failures at Oxford Circus.
Transport For London announced the terror attack plot, which was in advanced stages, was brought to a halt by the extremists’ inability to reach their intended destination in a reasonable time.
Weekend Closures
Al-Shabaab have long called for terror attacks on the busiest parts of London’s shopping streets, but part closures on major underground lines have forced them to reschedule their plans.
Reports indicate that Al-Shabaab leadership were close to calling off their attack earlier in the year after calculating the cost of a zone one to six travelcard for each militant involved, claiming: “global jihad must strike at the heart of western infidels, not our back account”.
The weekend closures are said to have been an insult too far, prompting the group to release a damning video aimed at TFL authorities.
In the video, a masked militant cursed the disruption and blasted replacement rail services which would have added an extra hour to the journey to Oxford Street.
“Replacement Rail?! If we wanted to waste time we would have taken the Piccadilly line,” said the angry militant who was informed during the video that the Piccadilly line was also part suspended between Hammersmith and King’s Cross after a person was hit by a train at Green Park.
‘Please seek alternate routes’
Al-Shabaab demanded Transport For London cease engineering works “immediately” so they could get on with the business of international terrorism.
The tirade, which lasted over an hour, contained a number of direct threats to TFL with the militant calling for “our Muslim brothers to answer the call of Allah and jump the barriers at all stations without paying”.
TFL have hit back at Islamist extremists suggesting Al-Shabaab check online for weekend closures before confirming their journey plans next time.
“All information relevant to journey disruptions is on our website,” noted Transport For London CEO Leon Daniels, who said the failure of the terror attack was a classic case of poor forward planning.
“Whether you’re going to the theatre, commuting or plotting unspeakable acts of terror it’s vital you check how your journey may be affected by planned engineering works.”
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