London: Police in Britain have arrested 12 men on suspicion of preparing a potential plot against targets in the country, police said on Monday.
The men, aged between 17 and 28, were detained by unarmed officers in dawn swoops at or near their homes in Cardiff, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and London.
The BBC described the arrests as a "significant counter-terrorism operation", but stressed the fact that police were unarmed suggested they were "not concerned" about the suspects carrying firearms.
Searches were now taking place at the addresses.
The suspects were held at police stations in central London, the North West and the West Midlands, a statement from Midlands Police said.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates said: "This is a large scale, pre-planned and intelligence-led operation involving several forces."
"The operation is in its early stages so we are unable to go into detail at this time about the suspected offences. However, I believe it was necessary at this time to take action in order to ensure public safety," the deputy Scotland Yard chief said in a statement.
Comments
0 comment