Counter-terrorism police are investigating what they have described as a credible and serious threat directed at a large Islamic gathering in Suffolk, an operation that has already led to a series of arrests across the country. Officers said the swift response, alongside the quick action of the organisers, meant that everyone was moved to safety and that nobody was hurt, even as the investigation into the alleged plot continues.
The gathering at the centre of the case was a major religious occasion. Known as the UK Ijtima, it drew around fifteen thousand Muslims and was billed as a chance for reflection and spiritual renewal. It was being held at Shrubland Hall, a country house set in some three hundred acres of grounds a few miles north of Ipswich in Suffolk, and had begun on the Friday as a three-day event running across the weekend.
The alarm was raised as the gathering was under way. According to the account, it was on the Sunday morning that Suffolk Police declared a major incident because of an alleged threat, which officers described as coming from extreme right-wing terrorists. That declaration set in motion an urgent response involving multiple agencies as authorities moved to protect the thousands of people on the site.
What followed was a large operation to clear the venue. Officials said a multi-agency response was launched to get everyone out of the event, and that this was carried out successfully. Despite the scale of the gathering and the seriousness with which the threat was treated, police stressed that no one was hurt as attendees were moved away from the country estate.
As the site was being secured, the investigation was already reaching well beyond Suffolk. In a statement, a senior officer said that after becoming aware of a potential serious threat towards the Islamic event in Suffolk, police had moved extremely quickly to make a number of arrests in various locations across the country, and thanked colleagues in Suffolk Police for their ongoing support during the operation.
The number of people drawn into the inquiry has grown as officers work through the evidence. According to the account, twelve people were arrested in connection with the investigation. A 42-year-old man, who has not been named, has since been charged with three offences, described as weapons offences, while the wider inquiry into the suspected plot continues.
The response from Britain's Muslim community was one of relief and gratitude. The Muslim Council of Britain released a statement thanking counter-terrorism police for their swift action over the suspected threat, crediting the speed of the police operation, carried out together with the event's organisers, with ensuring that a gathering of thousands was able to end without anyone coming to harm.
Officers have been careful to underline that the matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness. Counter-terrorism police said they were investigating a credible and serious threat targeted at the Islamic event in Suffolk, and that their work was continuing across several locations as they sought to establish the full picture behind the alleged plan, with the charged man due to face the legal process that lies ahead.