SAS soldiers ‘joined cops’ to raid homes of terror suspects as five men arrested over ‘plot to attack synagogue’
ELITE soldiers from the SAS "very likely" helped cops as five men were arrested over a suspected synagogue attack plot, an expert claims.
Counter terror police teams undertook co-ordinated raids at addresses in west London, Rochdale, Swindon, Manchester and Stockport on Saturday evening.
Sources claim a "major attack" was planned on a "specific premises" that could have led to imminent threat to life.
Cops are continuing to question the group of Iranian men, with speculation growing the alleged plot could have been targeting an Israeli or Jewish site as conflict rages on in the Middle East.
Footage shows the moment the armed officers dramatically swooped on a house in Rochdale before leading out a shirtless man.
Colonel Philip Ingram, who served in British military intelligence, said troopers from the SAS and its sister unit the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) may have been used in the strike operation.
He told MailOnline: "It's distinctly possible that - with this given a national level of threat and with hostile state links - there could be SRR troops from a surveillance perspective and they could have brought in special forces operatives as a backup team for counter terror police.
"There's a strong possibility given the multifaceted nature of the threat that counter terror could have been working with UK special forces."
Col Ingram went on say it was "rare" for the military to be involved in supporting police operations but not unprecedented.
Officials are understood to be treating another plot, which saw three Iranians arrested for spying charges, separately but are probing whether the same entity is behind both schemes.
Jonathan Hall KC, an independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said the public was not aware of "how aggressive Iran is willing to be".
Speaking this morning he said that UK authorities "undoubtedly" need more tools to deal with this particular case.
The use of the internet to organise attacks should be examined "remorselessly," and people made aware of the full extent of the law.
In recent years Iran has been known to employ criminal proxies to carry out their bidding, often enlisting the help of organised crime gangs coordinated via the internet from Tehran.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the action to foil the plan the "most significant" counter terrorism operation in recent years.
The Israeli Embassy in London is yet to comment.
The Sun has approached the Ministry of Defence for comment.
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