Counter-terrorism police in London have arrested six individuals on suspicion of involvement with the banned militant group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that two women, aged 59 and 31, along with four men, aged 27, 62, 56, and 23, were detained at separate locations early on Wednesday morning. All six are being held under the Terrorism Act and remain in custody at a London police station.
The police emphasized that there is no immediate threat to the public related to the ongoing investigation.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom, has been engaged in an armed conflict with the Turkish state since the 1980s, advocating for greater rights for Turkey's Kurdish minority.
As part of the investigation, officers are conducting searches at eight locations across London, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey. These searches are expected to continue for up to two weeks, with the area around the center remaining closed to the public during this time. Additional police patrols will be deployed in the coming days.
Acting Commander Helen Flanagan of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command described the arrests as a result of a "significant" investigation into "very serious allegations."
"This investigation aims to protect all our communities, particularly those in our Turkish and Kurdish communities," Flanagan stated. She also urged anyone who believes they have been affected or targeted by individuals linked to the PKK to come forward. Photo by Cheeseburger296, Wikimedia commons.