Seventh person arrested as part of probe into banned Kurdistan terror group

A seventh person has been arrested as part of a counter-terrorism investigation into a banned Kurdistan terror group.

The 31-year-old man was arrested in west London on Wednesday afternoon as part of the probe into the proscribed Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK.

Four men aged 23, 27, 56 and 62, and two women aged 31 and 59, were arrested at separate addresses in dawn raids in London that morning, the Met said.

All seven of those arrested were detained under the Terrorism Act and remain in custody, it added.

Protesters gathered near the community centre following the first six arrests and additional officers have consequently been deployed to the area, the Met reported.

Four people at the protest were arrested but the arrests were not directly connected to the counter-terrorism probe, it said.

The force said the community centre will remain closed for up to two weeks as it is searched.

Acting Commander Helen Flanagan, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “I want to stress that today’s arrests are targeted specifically at those we believe may be involved in suspected terrorist activity

“We understand these arrests have caused some concern amongst certain local communities – particularly those in the Kurdish community.

“I would also ask that people avoid speculating or sharing unverified details online about this activity.”

She said officers will be present in the area over the coming days to reassure residents, and added: “Local officers will also continue to hold meetings with community leaders, the local authority and local resident and community groups to keep them updated directly on the progress of this investigation.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Ms Flanagan said: “This activity has come about following a significant investigation and operation into activity we believe is linked to the terrorist group PKK.

“These are targeted arrests of those we suspect of being involved in terrorist activity linked to the group.

“I hope that these arrests show that we will not tolerate any sort of terrorist activity and that we will take action where we believe there is harm being caused to communities here in the UK or elsewhere.”

The PKK is a separatist group that wants an independent Kurdish state in south-east Turkey, and has been banned in the UK since 2001.

It has been fighting against the Turkish state since the early 1980s.

Ishak Milani, of the Kurdish People’s Assembly in the UK, said earlier on Wednesday: “We, the Kurdish community in London, strongly condemn the recent unjust and heavy-handed raid conducted by British police on our community spaces.

“This aggressive act is not only an attack on our people but also an affront to the principles of democracy, justice and human rights that the UK claims to uphold.

“We demand accountability for this raid and a clear explanation for the actions taken.”