12 arrested for plotting terror attack on Tablighi Jamaat's UK ijtima

LONDON: Twelve people have been arrested over a right-wing terror threat to an Islamic event by the Tablighi Jamaat at a country estate in Suffolk, police said.

Counter Terrorism Police London said the UK Ijtima by Tablighi Jamaat at Shrubland Hall was ended early on Sunday as a precaution after the possible threat.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the response of the police in tackling a "credible threat" to the UK Ijtima festival had "undoubtedly saved lives".

She said: "I know this is deeply concerning news for British Muslims.

"We must stand against hatred, and we must unite around our shared belief in a country that is open, generous and tolerant to all our communities."

Assistant Chief Constable Alice Scott from Suffolk Constabulary said: "We understand that the arrests and the context behind them may well cause some concern amongst our local communities. To provide some level of reassurance, we will have a visible police presence in the area of Shrubland Hall over the coming days, and we welcome local people to speak to us on the matter if they wish to.

"The situation was declared a major incident early on Sunday morning with a multi-agency response convened to ensure a safe and properly co-ordinated departure from the event of the 15,000 attendees. The major incident status was withdrawn earlier today (Mon).

"This was a complex and fast-moving scenario with the priority of all the agencies working together to ensure the safety of all the attendees. The Suffolk Resilience Forum wants to thank the organiser and attendees for remaining calm in very difficult circumstances, and we can reassure the public that everyone left the location safely.”

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London said: "After becoming aware of a potential serious threat towards the Islamic event in Suffolk, we have moved extremely quickly to make a number of arrests in various locations across the country.

"I would like to thank colleagues in Suffolk Police for their ongoing support, which led to the declaration of a major incident on Sunday in response to this. I’d also like to thank the event organisers and the public who have been impacted by this.

"I know this news may be concerning to the public and particularly those in the Muslim community, given that we believe the intended target was an Islamic event. But as we have shown, we will not hesitate to act if there is any potential threat, no matter who or what the potential target may be. I'm also pleased to say that although the event ended slightly earlier than planned, it nevertheless passed off safely.

"Sadly, this activity is a stark reminder that the threat level in the UK is at 'severe', so we urge the public to remain vigilant and report anything if it doesn’t look or feel right."