2000 MI6 attack

1980s 1990s On Wednesday 20 September 2000, the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) carried out an attack on MI6's SIS Building headquarters in Vauxhall, Lambeth, London.

A Russian-built RPG-22 anti-tank rocket, fired 300 metres (330 yards) away from MI6 headquarters, struck the building on the south side of the eighth floor, causing superficial damage.

London had been the target of a similar attack in 1991 when an IRA mortar shell was fired at 10 Downing Street and exploded during a cabinet meeting held by then Prime Minister John Major.

[2] At 21:45 the grenade caused damage to a green plated glass window, metres below sensitive satellite equipment on the building's roof which was believed to be the main target.

[2] In an effort to trace the source of the RPG-22, security officers analysed the serial number located on the rocket launcher, which was identified to have originated from a cache of weapons in Croatia.