London terrorist bombings
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) led a team to help the United Kingdom with the investigation into the London terrorist bombings of 7 July 2005. The AFP's involvement was known as Operation Kinship. The team comprised of:- AFP investigation/management
- AFP disaster victim identification experts
- AFP bomb data experts
- NSW Police
- Victoria Police, and
- Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS) transport security experts.
About the attacks
The London terrorist bombings were the first example of ‘home grown’ suicide bombers in the UK. Fifty-six people were killed, including one Australian, and over 700 people were injured.
There were three bomb explosions on the London Underground rail system and one on a London commuter bus. The Underground rail attacks coincided with the morning peak passenger flow in the rush hour.
The bombs on the trains were on the major lines leading in each direction from Kings Cross, except for the northern line. This caused the maximum disruption to the rail system.
The simultaneous incidents at multiple sites severely tested the response and critical incident management capabilities of the law enforcement and emergency services in London. In spite of these challenges, these services were able to respond quickly to rescue survivors and minimise the disruption to the city.
On 21 July 2005 there were four attempted bombings. No one was injured. These additional four bombings very much mirrored the attacks on 7 July, as they were on public transport systems, were coordinated, were on rail lines going in different directions, and were designed to inflict mass casualties.
Arrests
In the weeks following the bombings, Police arrested in excess of thirty people in the United Kingdom and Italy, with a number of them being charged for various offences including murder and terrorism related offences.
Australian outcomes
Operational response
In response to the bombings, the AFP Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (TCCC) established an investigation, Operation Kinship, to coordinate AFP activities, both in Australia and London.
These activities included the coordination of local enquiries in support of the UK investigation, including witness interviews and other general enquiries.
National Counter Terrorism Committee briefings
An Australian Observer Team, comprising officers from the AFP, State Police and the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services was deployed to London to provide any assistance that may be requested, and observe the response by UK Police and Emergency Services.
The team provided updates and briefings to the Australian Government and presented a summary of key findings of their observations to the National Counter Terrorism Committee (NCTC) for consideration.
Legislative and policy change
The key findings presented to the NCTC provided discussion on the UK investigation in terms of the emergency response, law enforcement investigation, intelligence, forensics and policy and planning. These findings provided the NCTC with valuable insight and issues for consideration in the ongoing planning and preparation for any potentially similar terrorist attack in Australia.
Bomb data
The Observer Team included an officer from the Australian Bomb Data Centre (ABDC).
The representative was able to gain valuable information concerning the bomb making and substances used. This knowledge contributed to the ABDC's understanding of these bombings and in the development of preventative strategies for Australia.
Forensic response
The AFP established a Forensics Major Incident Room (MIR) in Canberra to assist the Department of Foreign Affairs with enquiries into the welfare of Australians in London.