Plot targeting Muslim gathering in UK: 12 with far-right links held
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Representational.
London: British police have arrested 12 people over an alleged terror plot targeting an Islamic gathering in eastern England, saying those held have links to the far right. The arrests followed intelligence warnings of a serious threat to the Ijtima festival in Suffolk.
The coordinated operation was carried out across different parts of the country on Sunday and Monday. Those arrested include 11 men and one woman, aged between 27 and 82. The festival, attended by around 15,000 people, was brought to an early end on police advice after the security threat emerged.
Eight of the arrested men were held on terrorism offences, while three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. The woman was taken into custody on allegations of assisting an offender. None of the suspects has yet been formally charged.
Police said there was no immediate threat to the public but confirmed that searches were continuing at multiple locations. The operation was led by London's Counter Terrorism Policing unit, according to its head, Helen Flanagan.
The arrests come against the backdrop of rising racial tensions and hate crimes in the UK. Reports have pointed to the growing influence of far-right groups, including the Reform Party, as well as the aftermath of riots two years ago, as factors contributing to increasing intolerance.
Earlier this year, the Crown Prosecution Service said it was handling the highest number of hate crime cases in its history. Between July and September last year alone, 4,350 such cases were reported, a 14.7 per cent increase over the previous quarter.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the police operation had saved many lives, while acknowledging that the alleged plot would cause deep concern among British Muslims and calling for unity against hatred.