PSNI hold top level talks at police HQ in east Belfast over hoax bomb calls

DETECTIVES from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit are probing claims Islamic supporters of the group ISIS may have been behind Tuesday’s hoax bomb warning threats to seven primary schools in Northern Ireland.

The PSNI don’t believe the calls were being made by terrorist groups in Northern Ireland.

But Belfast Daily understands that a similar campaign of phone calls to schools in England on Monday being investigated by Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command is suspected of being “inspired” by ISIS cheerleaders on the mainland.

On Tuesday. schools in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland also received similar calls.

ISIS has vowed over internet communications to to step up its terror campaign, targeting children for attack.

Sources told Belfast Daily that a top level meeting was held on Tuesday lunchtime at PSNI headquarters in east Belfast to discuss the threat posed to schools.

A security source: “The chiefs are very worried about these hoax calls. It came right out of nowhere.”

It has also not been lost on detectives that Tuesday’s hoax bomb calls came the day after Tyrone woman Lorna Moore was jailed in England over her husband’s plans to join ISIS in Syria.

Digital communications both in and out of Northern Ireland and England are being checked by GCHQ listening station in Cheltenham to try and trace the source of the calls.

Similar previous type threats emanated from Russian global hackers.

But Tuesday’s threat in Northern Ireland is now looking at a possible threat from ISIS supporters using recorded messages to in a bid to avoid detection through voice analysis.

A total of seven primary schools were targeted in a series of hoax bomb calls on Tuesday morning.

Temporary Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said: “PSNI are investigating a series of malicious communications to schools across Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

“At this stage there is no information to suggest the incidents are terrorist-related.

“Enquiries continue to establish the facts. We will liaise with other UK Police services, who have received similar calls yesterday, to investigate who is responsible and whether these incidents are linked.

“Anyone with information should contact police on the non-emergency number 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”