LONDON, May 4: British counterterrorism officers arrested several Iranian men over an alleged plot to attack an unspecified target in London, the Metropolitan Police force said on Sunday.
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Police said five men aged between 29 and 46 were detained on Saturday in various parts of England on suspicion of preparing “a terrorist act.”
Four are Iranian citizens and the nationality of the fifth is still being established.
All the suspects are being questioned at police stations and have not been charged. Police said they are searching several properties in London, Manchester in northwest England and Swindon in western England.
Police said the attack plot targeted a single location that was not being named “for operational reasons.”
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the force’s Counter Terrorism Command, said police are still working to establish a motive “as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public.”
Separately, three other Iranian men, aged 39, 44 and 55, were arrested in London on suspicion of a national security offence as part of an unrelated investigation, police said.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the arrests were “serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats.
“The Government continues to work with police and intelligence agencies to support all the action and security assessments that are needed to keep the country safe,” she said.
Police have not determined whether the alleged plot is connected to Iran, but Britain’s domestic intelligence service has warned of a growing threat from attackers linked to Tehran.(AP)
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