Britain's Al-Qaeda leader seized

SECURITY sources believe that a man arrested in last week’s anti- terror raids in Britain is Al-Qaeda’s leader in this country.

Home Office officials say that one of those arrested is suspected not only of masterminding the foiled plot to bring down up to nine transatlantic airliners, but also of involvement in other planned atrocities over the past few years.

The thwarting of the alleged plot has, however, failed to quash continuing fears among counter-terrorist experts. Senior security officials have briefed ministers that a “second phase” of attacks may be about to be launched.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda’s deputy head, is said to have warned in a message placed on a restricted extremists’ website last month that the terrorist group was planning two large-scale attacks this autumn.

The FBI has assigned 200 agents to follow up any leads that come out of the British investigation. Security sources said that separate surveillance operations by police and MI5 were continuing into a variety of suspected plots by other terror cells.

These included plans, said to be in their early stages, to target ferry ports, the railway network and the London Underground. Police say they are also stepping up patrols at some mainline railway stations.

Police sources claimed yesterday to have seized “high grade evidence” including chemicals, documents and a video during last week’s raids in east London, Birmingham and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

They believe they have arrested “the ringleaders, the technical experts and the foot soldiers” behind the plot. “The leadership was very professional,” said a police source.

Although police say that they have arrested all those they wanted, the country still remains on “critical” alert. This means that MI5 believes that a further attack could be imminent. Read on.