Britons held in ‘troops plot’ probe

UK forces have arrested a British man and woman in Afghanistan amid fears they may have been planning an attack on British troops in the country.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday that the pair is currently being held in a secure facility in Kandahar for questioning.

The Times reported that the suspects, who are British passport-holders with dual nationality, were detained after a dramatic joint raid with Afghan intelligence service the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

An unnamed senior Afghan official told The Times: “It was terrorism-related. It was a UK-led operation.”

It is understood there is no link between the arrests and any potential terror plot in the UK.

An MoD spokesman said: “We can confirm that two British passport holders were detained in an operation by the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) conducted jointly last week by UK forces with Afghans in support. The individuals, a male and a female, are currently being held in a secure facility in Kandahar for questioning.