A London park has reopened following a police investigation after an Islamist ‘terror cell’ posted a video of what they claimed were drones carrying ‘radioactive and cancer-causing materials’ toward the Israeli embassy.
The Metropolitan Police were made aware of the video posted online and blocked off public access to Kensington Gardens yesterday.
Specialist officers were deployed to the scene, wearing protective gear and gas masks, as a precaution, to assess ‘ a number of discarded items’ and identify any risk to the wider public.
The force has confirmed there are no harmful or hazardous substances, as well as no risk to the public. As such, the search has finished, and Kensington Gardens has opened its gates once again.
It comes after the Iran-linked group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) posted a video online claiming it had aimed two drones carrying ‘radioactive and dangerous carcinogenic material’ towards the nearby Israeli embassy.
Although security sources considered the video as ‘extremely amateurish’, authorities took their claims seriously and believed they may be a proxy ‘commissioned’ by pro-Iranian regime groups.
In a video released by HAYI, two people dressed in white hazmat-style suits could be seen handling drones adorned with its logo. Footage, which appeared to have been filmed in a local park, then showed a drone taking off into the evening sky.
The Met Police confirmed yesterday that the embassy has not been attacked, but at the time said it was investigating the authenticity of the video and whether there was any link between it and the items discarded in the park.
Officers wearing protective suits were pictured in Kensington Gardens just before 9am on Friday, while access to the public was blocked off.
A van belonging to the Metropolitan Police’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) team, a fire investigation unit from the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service’s hazardous area response team were also present at the scene.
Later, divers from the Metropolitan Police underwater and confined space search team arrived close to the bandstand.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia has claimed responsibility for a series of incidents since the start of the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, including the arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity.
It has also claimed recent attempted arson attacks at a synagogue in Finchley and an Iranian TV station in Wembley, which is critical of the regime. And in its latest video, the group said it has ‘moved to the second phase of operations’.
The gates to Kensington Gardens were shut yesterday morning, with signs, which read, ‘Hazardous conditions – do not enter’, informing the public that the park is closed
The force has since concluded there were no hazardous or harmful substances and has since re-opened Kensington Gardens to the public.
Commander Helen Flanagan, of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: ‘We recognise this incident and consequent police activity may have caused concern among local residents and the wider public. We are grateful to them for their understanding while our work was undertaken.
‘Although the items found have been assessed as being non-hazardous, we continue to investigate whether they may have any link to the online video. This work is being carried out by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London and our enquiries remain ongoing.
‘While the Embassy of Israel was not attacked, we continue to work closely with the Embassy and its security team to keep the site safe and secure.’
The force has asked the public to remain vigilant and to report anything that doesn’t look or feel right by calling police on 0800 789 321.
Alternatively, incidents can also be reported online or in an emergency by dialling 999.
