Police in the Strathclyde area have said they’re ending their examination of Garadbhan Forest, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of Glasgow, following what they described as a systematic search of the area.
But police offered no detail on the nature or circumstances of the blast which hit the forest at noon on Nov. 17. A statement referred to “items” discovered at the scene, but did not say if these were thought to be explosives or other clues.
The presence of bomb-disposal experts and counterterrorism officers at the scene last week has drawn speculation that the blast might have be linked to terrorist activity.
British Islamists have in the past used forested areas of the UK as cover for training exercises, or as a convenient place to stash explosives. A group of terrorists convicted last year of plotting to blow up US-bound aircraft were found to have hidden bomb-making ingredients at woods in High Wycombe, west of London. National parks in the Lake District, northern England, the New Forest, southern England, and other quiet corners of the country have also been used by recruiters to train and radicalize followers.
Detective Chief Superintendent John Mitchell appealed to the public to stop circulating theories about the explosion, saying “speculating only causes unnecessary alarm.” But his force has so far refused to respond to repeated questions about the size of the blast or the nature of the items recovered from the scene. A spokeswoman interviewed last week said details were being kept secret for unspecified “operational reasons.”
