London’s counter-terrorism police have arrested six individuals for suspected links to the banned militant group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The arrested individuals include two women aged 59 and 31, and four men aged 27, 62, 56, and 23. The police made the arrests during early morning raids at separate addresses on Wednesday. All those arrested have been detained under the Terrorism Act, and the authorities have stated that there is currently no immediate threat to the public related to the ongoing investigation.
The PKK is a militant group banned as a terrorist organisation in Turkey, the US, and the UK. The organisation has conducted campaigns since the 1980s seeking greater rights for the country’s significant Kurdish minority. The UK police’s Counter Terrorism Command has now carried out searches at eight addresses throughout London, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey.
Acting Commander Helen Flanagan of the Counter Terrorism Command stressed the significance of the arrests and investigations. In her statement, she said: “This investigation and activity is about protecting all of our communities, but particularly those in our Turkish and Kurdish communities.” The search of the identified premises is set to continue for up to a fortnight, during which the community centre and the surrounding area will be closed to the public.
Further details of the arrests and the investigation will become available shortly. Interested individuals can stay updated regarding the latest developments through the BBC News App or by following @BBCBreaking on Twitter for any updates
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