British police said today they had arrested 13 men this week in an anti-terrorist clampdown and had charged two UK-based Algerians with links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
Police in Leicester, central England, said they had arrested a 26-year-old man yesterday evening under the Immigration Act while London police seized a 27-year-old man under anti-terrorism laws.
Earlier yesterday police arrested 11 other men at eight different addresses in Leicester.
"It is part of a terrorist inquiry which is ongoing... It has to do with American interests in Europe, a Leicestershire police spokeswoman said.
She declined to say whether the operation had anything to do with al-Qaeda, the banned militant network accused of masterminding the September 11th attacks on America.
Yesterday, Britain charged Algerian Baghdad Meziane, 36, with being a leader of the al-Qaeda network of Saudi-born Islamic militant Osama bin Laden.
A second Algerian, Brahim Benmerzouga, 30, was also charged with being a member of the group. The two were arrested in September.
It is the first time Britain has charged anyone with membership of al-Qaeda since it was put on a list of proscribed groups.
Police said the man arrested in London and all those arrested in Leicester yesterday were in custody in Leicestershire. They said specialist teams completed searches at six premises, and searches would continue at two properties today.