Dozen arrested in British anti-terror raid

LONDON - In the biggest anti-terrorist sweep in Britain in nearly two years, police arrested a dozen men Monday, accusing them of plotting a large-scale terror attack on targets inside the United Kingdom.

The suspects, who ranged in age from 17 to 28, had been under surveillance for weeks and were believed to have links to Pakistan and Bangladesh, security officials said.

The arrests come amid growing concerns in Europe over terrorism following a suicide bombing in Sweden and reported threats of a terror attack on a European city modeled on the deadly shooting spree in Mumbai, India.

Police swooped in before dawn in coordinated raids on houses in four cities - London, the Welsh city of Cardiff and the English cities of Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent. The officers were unarmed, suggesting any planned attack was not imminent.

The raid, a joint operation by the domestic spy agency MI5 and police, was the largest since April 2009, when 12 men were detained over an alleged al-Qaida bomb plot in the northern city of Manchester.

Counterterrorism officials declined to give more details of the latest alleged plot, saying only that the men had been under surveillance for several weeks.

No details were given as to whether explosives or arms were found, and searches were under way in the homes where the arrests took place.

"The operation is in its early stages, so we are unable to go into detail at this time," said John Yates, Britain's senior counterterrorism police officer.

Still, he said yesterday's raids, involving a dozen suspects across the United Kingdom, indicated they were planning something big.

"This is a large-scale, preplanned and intelligence-led operation involving several forces," Yates said.

The men are thought to be British nationals with links to Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to a counterterrorism official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Britain is home to large Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities.

The arrests were not believed to be part of any planned holiday season attack, said a British security official who spoke on condition of anonymity.