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Police release four Somalia men | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Four Britons who faced questions under UK terror laws after being arrested crossing the border between Kenya and Somalia have been allowed home. | |
The men were detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 on their return to the UK but were later released. | |
Police questioned the men, all in their 20s and from London, about their arrest by the Kenyan authorities. | |
Somalian authorities alleged the men - among several foreigners detained - may have had links to al-Qaeda. | Somalian authorities alleged the men - among several foreigners detained - may have had links to al-Qaeda. |
The Metropolitan Police said the four Britons were detained in Kenya on or around 21 January after crossing the border from Somalia. | The Metropolitan Police said the four Britons were detained in Kenya on or around 21 January after crossing the border from Somalia. |
They were deported back to Somalia on 10 February. | They were deported back to Somalia on 10 February. |
Foreign Office staff from Nairobi travelled to Baidoa in Somalia and accompanied the men back to Kenya. | |
A spokesman said the men were all in good physical condition. | |
The four were flown back to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, arriving at 0650 GMT. | The four were flown back to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, arriving at 0650 GMT. |
They were held under port and border controls of the Terrorism Act 2000 while officers investigated the circumstances leading up to their detention in Kenya, the police said, and then taken to a west London police station. | |
Later the police said the men had been released. | |
UK support claim | UK support claim |
Foreign Office officials say they were trying to establish what happened. | |
There have previously been claims that Britons were injured or captured in fighting in Somalia, where government forces backed by Ethiopia have ousted Islamists from the capital, Mogadishu. | |
Somalia's deputy prime minister had previously alleged that some support for the Islamist movement was coming from the UK. | Somalia's deputy prime minister had previously alleged that some support for the Islamist movement was coming from the UK. |
A Kenyan police official said the Britons were among 10 foreigners who had been found fleeing Somalia. | A Kenyan police official said the Britons were among 10 foreigners who had been found fleeing Somalia. |
The group, which also included two Americans, a Frenchman, a Tunisian woman, Syrians and other fighters of Arabic origin, were to be deported, he said. | The group, which also included two Americans, a Frenchman, a Tunisian woman, Syrians and other fighters of Arabic origin, were to be deported, he said. |