Radical Islamic groups ditch large attacks for those on smaller scale, expert says

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the world copes with heartbreak after the latest terrorist attack, Prime Minister Thersea May is warning another strike might happen soon.

May says Britain's threat level from terrorism has been raised to critical -- meaning an attack may be imminent.

“This means that their assessment is not only that an attack remains highly likely, but that a further attack may be imminent," May said.

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Cindy Combs is a University of North Carolina-Charlotte professor with an expertise in international terrorism.

She said radical Islamic groups are ditching the large-scale attacks they used to conduct for more intimate smaller scale strikes like last night's Ariana Grande concert and last year's Pulse nightclub attack.

"That's so much harder to combat," Combs said. "How do you tell which individual is going to be the one who is going to read something like this and then shoot up a nightclub?"

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Authorities have a close eye on Britain and even the United States for copycat acts of lone-wolf terrorism.

Combs said the focus now for the U.S. should be combatting the Islamic State group's recruitment efforts.

An attack of this scale doesn't require a trip overseas, just a computer and proper research.

"We have to counter that radicalization," she said. "That's not with bombs and that's not with guns ...it's a matter of having to figure out what is pulling them in and how can we counter it?"

Cox Media Group