Terrorism eyed after attempted abduction of serviceman near RAF Marham

Police investigating the attempted abduction of a serviceman near a Royal Air Force base said Thursday they were unable to rule out terrorism as a motive.

The serviceman, in his 20s, was targeted Wednesday by two men in a car while jogging near RAF Marham air base in Norfolk, England. One of the culprits was armed with a knife.

British military personnel have been on heightened alert since soldier Lee Rigby was beheaded on a London street in 2013. Earlier this year, a British delivery driver with links to a suspected ISIS militant was convicted of plotting a “terrorist” attack against U.S. military personnel based in England.

The intended victim of Wednesday’s attack, who was off-duty and not in uniform, was uninjured. The first attacker shouted but the serviceman did not hear what was said because he was wearing headphones.

Detective Superintendent Paul Durham of Norfolk Police said in a statement: “I can confirm we are treating this as an attempted abduction … The motivation for the attack remains unclear at this time, and whilst we are currently unable to discount terrorism, there are a number of other possible hypotheses.”

At a later news conference, Assistant Chief Constable Nick Dean stressed that terrorism was only one theory being examined.

Read More- NBC News

Image courtesy of PA Images