BBC Says 4 of its Journalists Arrested in Ireland

LONDON – Four British Broadcasting Corp. journalists were among seven men arrested in Ireland in connection with an investigation into paramilitary activity, the BBC said Sunday.

The news organization said the journalists were working on a current affairs program when they were arrested by Irish police Saturday. Ireland's police confirmed that seven men between the ages of 30 and 48 were in custody but declined to offer further details.

The BBC said the arrests took place in County Donegal, which neighbors Northern Ireland. Its Web site said the men had "full editorial authority under the BBC's guidelines" for their work. A spokeswoman for the service said that meant they had approval for what they were doing.

But she refused to say anything else about the arrests, citing the matter's sensitivity.