Article published in The Daily Mirror, 3 January 2025. © Richard Kemp

The horrific terrorist attack in New Orleans is another chilling reminder of the jihadist threat that confronts us all.

Although police said bombs and guns may also have been intended as part of the attack, the indiscriminate murder of 15 people again shows us how much slaughter can be inflicted by everyday items such as cars, knives and off-the-shelf drones in the hands of the radicalised.

Their radical Islamist agenda demands the mass killing of infidels. But the indiscriminate nature of these attacks means that anyone can be a victim – indeed, the Islamic State and its fellow jihadists have killed many more Muslims around the world than non-Muslims. No one is safe from their bloodlust.

Many attacks have been by individuals acting only on broad internet directives from terror groups such as al-Qaeda, Hamas and the Islamic State and sometimes the mosque sermons of extremist preachers of hate.

‘Lone wolf’ terrorists are the most difficult to identify before they strike. But even networks can be impossible to track.

The most effective means of preventing these assaults is intelligence, both human and electronic, although that is far from foolproof.

Britains intelligence services have disrupted many more attacks than have succeeded.

A big part of the preventative jigsaw is enlisting help from the communities where the jihadists live. Many intelligence successes have come from such tip-offs.

We can be certain that New Orleans style attacks will again come to Britain.

It is essential that our intelligence services have all the resources they need to stop them and save lives.