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British teenagers arrested on terrorism charges

April 5, 2015

Two young people from the Manchester area were apprehended by the police for "preparing an act of terrorism." Britain has seen a surge in such cases in recent months.

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Symbolbild Islamist England
Image: imago/UPI Photo

Two teenagers from the north of England have been arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, police said on Sunday. A 14-year-old boy from Blackburn and a 16-year-old girl from Manchester were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation, read a statement from Greater Manchester Police.

The boy was taken into custody for "suspicion of preparing for an act of terrorism" following the examination of several of his electronic devices on Thursday, and the girl was arrested a day later on similar charges. Both are free on bail, until a court hearing on May 28.

The number of terrorism-related arrests in Britain has surged in recent months as increasing numbers of Britons attempt to reach Syria in order to fight with "Islamic State" extremists.

Earlier this week, nine British nationals from one family in Turkey while trying to cross the broder into Syria. The latest arrests are not related to the detention of the family in Turkey.

Security services estimate that 600 Britons have gone to join militant groups in the Middle East, with about half of them thought to have returned. Last year Britain raised its terrorism alert to the second-highest level and the government warned of the threat posed by the rising number of radicalized Britains.

es/rc (AP, Reuters)