Plane Terror Plot Thwarted in Britain

Courtesy of Sky News:

Police say they have disrupted a major plot to blow up as many as 20 planes over UK and US cities with explosive devices smuggled aboard as hand luggage.

Police are have arrested 20 people in London - the culmination of a covert counter-terrorist operation lasting several months.

For the meantime, passengers in Britain are not being allowed to carry on normal hand luggage including electronic items, handbags and other belongings. Sky News’ Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said there were concerns that certain explosives, possibly liquid, could be missed during x-ray screening of hand luggage.

Apparently several flights have also been canceled. Other news services are reporting that United States Homeland Security has raised the threat level on aircraft originating in Britain and possibly Europe. However, that information has yet to be posted on Homeland Security and Transportation Security Agency websites. The news of this breaking story is rather disjointed at present. Britain’s threat level has been raised from ’severe’ to ‘critical’.

More details are becoming available through the British and United States Press:

• Breaking News from Sky News
• U.S. raises threat level to red for flights from Britain From Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Plot to blow up UK-U.S. jets foiled from Minneapolis Star Tribune
• London Police Thwart Terrorist Plot Fox News
• U.S. raises threat level at airports Yahoo News

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