British politicians, senior police officers and others seen as possible targets of the Provisional IRA are being warned to increase their personal security.
The warnings of potential IRA attack were issued after the existing threat level in Britain was reassessed and upgraded in the wake of the current security and political "turbulence", a British government spokesman told The Irish Times.
The risk level was raised following the Northern Bank robbery, the murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast and the alleged involvement of the IRA in multi-million-pound money laundering.
But the spokesman added: "This is just a precaution that reflects the level of uncertainty following recent events. There is nothing to suggest that the IRA ceasefire is likely to be breached."