A sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London (Image: AP)LONDON: British counterterrorism officers arrested several Iranian men over an alleged plot to attack an unspecified target in London, the Metropolitan Police force said Sunday.Police said five men aged between 29 and 46 were detained on Saturday in various parts of England on suspicion of preparing "a terrorist act." Four are Iranian citizens and the nationality of the fifth is still being established.All the suspects are being questioned at police stations and have not been charged. Police said they are searching several properties in London, Manchester in northwest England and Swindon in western England.Police said the attack plot targeted a single location that was not being named "for operational reasons. "Separately, three other Iranian men, aged 39, 44 and 55, were arrested in London on suspicion of a national security offense as part of an unrelated investigation, police said.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the arrests were "serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats. Two men were later arrested in Romania and charged over the attack.The UK's official terror threat level stands at "substantial," the middle of a five-point scale, meaning an attack is likely.
