On Friday, two people were killed and several injured in a terrorist attack in London. In recent years, Britain has had the most planned, averted and implemented terrorist attacks of all EU countries, according to figures from Europol. But overall, the terrorist attacks in the EU countries have decreased last year. In 2017, a total of 205 attacks were planned, averted and carried out in the EU countries, resulting in 68 deaths. In 2018, the number dropped to 129 attacks and 13 dead. According to the terror expert Hans Brun, this is mainly due to two things: the improved ability of the police authorities to cooperate within and between countries and that IS has been marginalized in Iraq and Syria.

"Sympathizers lose their temper"

When IS was marginalized, many experts warned that the attacks in the western world would increase, but the case does not appear to be according to statistics from Europol - a picture that Hans Brun confirms.

- IS has had difficulty organizing the more advanced attacks. Then it is also the case that members and sympathizers lose their appetite as IS is not so good. In football you can talk about supporter supporters, it is a common human behavior that it is easier to advocate something that goes well, says Hans Brun.

The British police are working on the basis that the man in London acted alone and these occasional solitary offenders will continue to happen, Hans Brun predicts.

The British practiced terrorism for a long time

The police have also increased their cooperation between and within the countries, which has made it easier for them to detect the large-scale attacks. They have improved routines and information exchange, according to Brun.

- It's not that the terrorists didn't try, but the attacks have often been interrupted. Many people are already being monitored by the intelligence service, so when they start talking on their channels they generate "a noise" as they call them in the intelligence world.

The fact that Britain is severely affected by terrorist attacks is because "they have a very active jihadist scene just like France and Belgium," according to Hans Brun.

- The English are good at counter-terrorism because they have trained for 40 years with the IRA, which is the most sophisticated terrorist group we have seen in Europe. The British have a knowledge that permeates their entire legal apparatus.