London: Twelve men were arrested in Britain on Monday on suspicion of plotting a large-scale act of terrorism, police said following raids on three cities.
The men, aged between 17 and 28, were detained "on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism in the UK”, the West Midlands Police force said in a statement.
"This is a large-scale, pre-planned and intelligence-led operation involving several forces," said Assistant Commissioner John Yates, the officer in charge of counterterrorism policing.
"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."
Yates, however, added the arrests were necessary to ensure public safety.
Bureau Report
