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Five men held in West Midlands on suspicion of terrorism offences Five men held in West Midlands on suspicion of terrorism offences
(about 1 hour later)
Five men have been arrested in the West Midlands on suspicion of terrorism offences.Five men have been arrested in the West Midlands on suspicion of terrorism offences.
The men were detained by counter-terrorism officers on Friday in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent on suspicion of commissioning, preparing or instigating acts of terrorism, said West Midlands police. The men were detained by counter-terrorism officers on Friday in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent on suspicion of commissioning, preparing or instigating acts of terrorism, West Midlands police said.
Two men, aged 32 and 37, were held in Stoke, while two others, aged 18 and 24, were arrested at their homes in Birmingham. Another man, 28, was detained in a different area of Birmingham. Two men aged 32 and 37 were held in Stoke, and two others aged 18 and 24 were arrested at their homes in Birmingham. A 28-year-old man was detained in a different area of Birmingham.
The force said that following one of the arrests, an army bomb disposal team was called to the Lee Bank area of Birmingham as a precaution. Armed police were not involved in the arrests. After one of the arrests, an army bomb disposal team was called to the Lee Bank area of Birmingham as a precaution, police said. Armed officers were not involved.
A spokesman said: “Police are searching a number of properties in the Stoke and Birmingham areas as part of the investigation; these searches are ongoing. The arrests were intelligence-led and part of an ongoing investigation. A spokesman for the force said: “Police are searching a number of properties in the Stoke and Birmingham areas as part of the investigation; these searches are ongoing. The arrests were intelligence-led and part of an ongoing investigation.There is no risk to the public at this stage.”
“There is no risk to the public at this stage.” The arrests are related to alleged Islamist terrorism activity.
The address the army bomb squad was called to is close to Birmingham’s city centre and prestige shopping and entertainment destinations such as the Bull Ring.
Locals said the bomb squad arrived just after 3pm, according the Birmingham Mail. Several hours later explosives experts were still at the scene, which remained cordoned off. A heavy police presence was visible.
Ash Sangha, a hotel worker at the Pentahotel in Holloway Head, said he had seen bomb squad experts in the street, and staff and guests had been warned by police to stay indoors for their own safety.
West Midlands fire service tweeted: “Fire crews have been supporting police colleagues with an ongoing operation in the Lea Bank area of #Birmingham.”
It was not clear whether the deployment of firefighters, who are also skilled in handling hazardous materials, was because something had been found in the address that merited concern, or whether it was merely a precaution.
Pictures of Birmingham landmarks including the Bull Ring were found on a phone belonging to one of the terror cell behind attacks in Paris and Belgium. Intelligence experts were divided about whether those pictures were evidence of reconnaissance or of something more innocent.