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Nine held by counter-terror unit Three questioned by terror police
(about 4 hours later)
Nine men have been arrested on a Lancashire motorway in a counter-terrorism operation. Three men are being questioned by counter-terrorism police after they were arrested on a Lancashire motorway.
Six were later released without charge but three others remain in custody. Nine men were arrested on the M65 near Preston at about 2100 GMT on Friday, but six of them have since been released without charge.
The arrests, near Preston on Friday, involved a joint operation between police in Lancashire and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit. The arrests were made in a joint operation between Lancashire Police and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit.
The men were stopped at about 2100 GMT as they travelled westbound on the M65 near junction one. The motorway was closed while vehicles were seized. It is understood the operation is connected to possible terrorist offences overseas and not in the UK.
A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said: "The arrests are part of an ongoing intelligence-led operation and investigation by Lancashire Constabulary and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit." Lancashire Constabulary said the men were stopped as they travelled westbound on the M65 near junction one.
The motorway was closed while several vehicles they were travelling in were seized.
The three men remaining in custody are aged 26, 29 and 36.
A police spokeswoman said: "They can be questioned for up to 48 hours. After that they need to be charged or released, or we need to have an extension granted."
She added: "No armed police or firearms were involved in the operation."