More arrests in London after woman suspect shot in operation

More arrests linked to a terrorism threat have been made here following an operation in which a female suspect was shot by armed cops, local police said Friday.

A swoop by armed anti-terrorism police at an address in northwest London came just hours after a man, armed with a collection of knives, was apprehended close to Downing Street in central London. But London's Metropolitan Police say the two incidents are not linked.

Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, senior national co-ordinator for counter terrorism policing, gave an update at the forces' Scotland Yard headquarters Friday about the two counter terrorism operations.

He said at 7 p.m. local time Thursday (1800 GMT) highly-trained firearms officers carried out a specialist entry into an address on Harlesden Road, London.

"An armed entry was necessary due to the nature of the intelligence that we were dealing with," said Basu.

"During the course of that operation one of the subjects of that operation, a woman, was shot by police -- she remains in hospital. Her condition is serious but stable. Because of her condition she has not yet been arrested. We are monitoring her condition closely," he said.

The woman, in her twenties, was taken by ambulance to the hospital with an armed police guard.

Initially four people were arrested. The first, a 20-year-old man, was arrested near the address. A male aged 16 and woman aged 20 were arrested at the address. A 43-year-old woman was arrested in Kent a short while later. All four are being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorist acts.

In his update Friday Basu said two additional suspects, a man and a woman both aged 28, had been arrested, bringing the total to six, excluding the woman in the hospital with gunshot wounds.

"Searches are ongoing at three London addresses, including Harlesden Road, as part of this investigation," said Basu, adding: "Due to these arrests that we have made, I believe that we have contained the threats that they posed."

Referring to the recent terror attack on Westminster which left five people dead, including House of Commons police constable Keith Palmer, Basu said he wanted to reassure the public that increased activity by the police and security forces to combat terrorism over the last two years continues.

"After that attack, we increased the number of officers on duty patrolling at key locations -- and that continues as we police against the backdrop of a severe terrorist threat," said Basu.

Earlier Thursday in Whitehall, epicenter of Britain's government, a 27-year-old man was arrested by armed officers from the Met's Specialist Firearms Command, who stopped and searched him as part of an ongoing counter terrorism investigation.

The suspect remains in police custody after being arrested for Terrorism Act Offenses and possession of offensive weapons. Two ongoing searches at addresses in London are continuing as part of that investigation. Endi