The head of MI5 says Britain is facing a staggering rise in attempts at assassination, sabotage and other crimes backed by Russia and Iran.

Ken McCallum said the number of state-threat investigations undertaken by MI5 has risen by 48 percent in the past year.

Ken McCallum says Russian intelligence agencies are also on a ‘sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets’ with ‘arson, sabotage and more’

LONDON — Britain is facing a “staggering rise” in attempts at assassination, sabotage and other crimes on U.K. soil by Russia and Iran, as the two states recruit criminals to

The head of Britain’s domestic security service said Russia’s military intelligence service was pursuing “dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness.”

The U.K. is facing a rise in assassination attempts attributed to Russia and Iran, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum has revealed.

Russia's GRU military intelligence service is seeking to cause "mayhem" across Britain and Europe, the UK's domestic spy chief said on Tuesday, while a growing threat from resurgent al Qaeda and Islamic State was his greatest terrorism concern.

The head of Britain's domestic spy agency accused Russian military intelligence of being on a "sustained mission to generate mayhem."