Twelve Held After Anti-terrorism Sweep

A teenage boy is among 12 people arrested as part of a major anti-terrorism operation in the UK.

The suspects - five from Cardiff, four from Stoke-on-Trent and three from London - were detained by unarmed officers at around 5am.

A 17-year-old boy and 11 men aged up to 28 are being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism in the UK.

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner John Yates, national lead for counter-terrorism policing, said that with the terrorist threat level in the UK at "severe" the arrests were "absolutely necessary to keep the public safe".

Home Secretary Theresa May said the UK faces "a real and serious threat from terrorism" and thanked the police and security service for keeping the country
safe.

Mr Yates said earlier: "This is a large scale, pre-planned and intelligence-led operation involving several forces.
[...]

The operation is being led by Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, the senior national co-ordinator of terrorist investigations, and involves police from forces in London, South Wales and Staffordshire.

West Midlands Police said in a statement: "All were arrested at or near their home addresses, with the exception of one suspect from Stoke who was at a domestic property in Birmingham.

"Searches are now being conducted at the home addresses, plus the address in Birmingham and another residence in London.

"The suspects will be held at police stations in central London, the North West and the West Midlands."

The arrests come after intelligence agencies in Europe, Pakistan and the US intercepted a credible Islamic plot to launch raids on European cities, in a similar style to the attacks in Mumbai, India, two years ago.

Sky's security editor Sam Kiley said the arrests are not linked to the Mumbai-style plot but are allegedly part of a separate plot entirely.
Sky News