UK police arrest 12 over ‘extreme right-wing’ threat

UK police say they have arrested 12 people following a suspected threat to an Islamic event at the weekend, as part of an investigation they described as “linked to far-right terrorism”.

Police said they made arrests at addresses across England on Sunday and Monday after becoming aware of a “potential serious threat” to the religious event.

The event, attended by around 15,000 people, was held from July 9 to 12 at a country house in Suffolk, east England, and went mostly as expected, apart from closing earlier than planned on Sunday.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she knew the news would be worrying for Muslims in the UK.

“We must stand against hate and unite around our shared belief in a country that is open, generous and tolerant towards all our communities,” he said in a post on X.

Britain raised its terror threat level to “serious” in April, signaling that a terror attack was considered highly likely, and counter-terrorism police chief Helen Flanagan said Monday’s arrests were a “stark reminder” of that threat level.

In the statement, it was stated that eight men detained under the Anti-Terror Law remained in police custody, three other men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, and one woman was arrested on suspicion of aiding a criminal.

It was stated that the ages of those arrested were between 27 and 60. #

Many addresses are being sought in and around London, the east of England and near Manchester.