Terror sweep yields 4 more arrests in UK

Four men, aged between 19 and 24, have been arrested by the UK’s West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit in the ongoing counter-terrorism sweep dubbed Operation Pitsford. The men from the Sparkhill area of Birmingham are accused of raising funds to support terror activities, traveling to Pakistan to receive terror training, and making a martyrdom video. Officials say that the public was not in immediate danger as the arrests were pre-planned and the suspects were under constant surveillance.

Operation Pitsford has now led to the arrests of 12 suspects who are each suspected of some combination of the following offenses: providing financing to terrorist organizations, training in Pakistan with terror groups, and plotting to unleash a wave of suicide bombers on UK soil.

In an earlier part of the terror investigation, eight suspects were arrested in September. It was later revealed that the accused were linked to an al Qaeda cell in Pakistan, where two of the suspects are purported to have trained to be suicide bombers and made martyrdom videos in preparation for their plot.

All suspects arrested under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000 are subject to questioning during the first 48 hours following their arrest, after which they must be charged, released, or detained under a further warrant. Seven of the suspects arrested in September have already appeared in court and are currently out on bail.

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