Man held at UK airport over 'Syria-linked terror offences'

An armed police vehicle at Manchester Airport in Britain on March 22, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

LONDON (AFP) - Police in Britain arrested a man on Saturday (April 16) at an airport on suspicion of carrying out "Syria-related terrorism offences," they said.

The 18-year-old man from Birmingham, central England, was held at Manchester airport in northwest England after landing in Britain on Saturday morning (April 16), according to a statement from West Midlands Police.

Officers stressed the arrest was not linked to the detention of five other people from Birmingham on Thursday (April 14) and Friday (April 15) but gave no further details.

Police said Friday that those five arrests were made after investigations involving the Belgian and French authorities "to address any associated threat to the UK following the attacks in Europe".

Officers declined to comment in more detail on any possible link to attacks in Belgium last month and in France in November in which a total of 162 people were killed.

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