Westminster terror suspect identified

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39741590

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A terror suspect arrested near the Houses of Parliament is Khalid Mohamed Omar Ali, the BBC understands.

The 27-year-old was detained as part of an intelligence-led operation after a concerned family member is believed to have contacted the police.

He was held on Thursday on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and preparing for acts of terrorism.

Mr Ali is thought to be a UK national - but born overseas - and to have gone to school in Tottenham, north London.

He was known to the police and the security service MI5. Police are still searching addresses linked to him.

He is still being held in custody in a south London police station.

The Metropolitan Police said on Thursday he had been arrested in Parliament Street, at the junction with Parliament Square, "following a stop and search as part of an ongoing operation".

A statement added: "The man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Knives have been recovered from him.

"Detectives from the counter-terrorism command are continuing their investigation, and as a result of this arrest there is no immediate known threat."

A witness described having seen two knives on the ground, one of which he described as a large bread knife.

Analysis

By BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner

This, on the face of it, appears to have been a successful intelligence-led operation by the Metropolitan Police and MI5, the security service.

The suspect arrested had been under surveillance for some time.

It's not known what his exact intentions were. But the fact that he was arrested with two knives, close to Parliament and the centre of government, has contributed to this case being investigated by SO15, the Met Police's counter-terrorism command.

At this stage it is not thought that any other country's law enforcement agency is involved.

The area around Whitehall has been on increased alert since 22 March when Khalid Masood killed five people, including a police officer, in a terrorist attack.

In addition to visible armed officers, a number of armed police officers regularly patrol the streets of the capital with mobile armouries, ready to respond to an attack.