MANCHESTER, England – Police conducted searches in the Manchester area as part of an anti-terrorism operation that netted 10 people, officials said Wednesday.
Greater Manchester Police (search) also said a magistrate's court had granted them more time to question the suspects, who were arrested in anti-terrorism raids in north and central England on Monday. They were of North African and Iraqi-Kurdish origin.
All 10 suspects have been held on suspicion of being involved in terrorism. Under British anti-terrorism law, they can be detained without charge for a maximum of two weeks, but courts grant police that permission only a few days at a time.
"Last night warrants for further detention of the 10 people were granted by Manchester Magistrates' Court," a statement from the Greater Manchester Police said. Police would not say how long the questioning period had been extended.
The police added only that they were searching four addresses as part of the investigation.
Six men and a woman were arrested in the Manchester area, and three men were arrested elsewhere in the English north and Midlands.
Police refused to comment on media reports that the arrests thwarted a suicide attack on targets that may have included the Manchester United (search) soccer stadium.
They have released no details about the allegations, but several British newspapers, citing anonymous sources, published reports Tuesday claiming the suspects had planned a bomb attack. The reports cited targets including shopping malls and stadiums in northern England.
Police did not say whether any explosives had been seized in the operation.
Last month, police arrested nine men and seized more than a half ton of potentially explosive fertilizer in anti-terrorist raids in London and the surrounding area. Six of the men have been charged with explosives or terrorism offenses.
Police have released no details of the case.
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