Europe busts 26/11-style terror plot

A Pakistan-based plot linked to al-Qaeda to launch a Mumbai-style terror attack simultaneously in London.

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A Pakistan-based plot linked to al-Qaeda to launch a Mumbai-style terror attack simultaneously in London and major cities in France and Germany was foiled by intelligence agencies,media reports said on Wednesday.

Terrorists based in Pakistan had been planning the attack and had been tracked by spy agencies for some time,Britains Sky News reported citing intelligence sources. The attacks would have been similar to commando-style raids carried out in Mumbai on November 26,2008,the channel said quoting intelligence sources.

The plan for suicidal onslaughts similar to the Mumbai carnage,in which 166 people were killed,was uncovered after a combined operation involving the US,UK,France and German intelligence agencies,The Guardian reported.

In a strongly worded letter,Britains Defence Secretary warned Prime Minister David Cameron that making deep cuts to military spending while the country is at war in Afghanistan will damage the ruling Conservatives and hit soldiers morale. Liam Fox wrote the cuts will invite security risks like Mumbai-style attacks.

In the letter,leaked to The Daily Telegraph,Fox also said the planned defence cuts would have grave political consequences for Britains centre-right Conservative party,and will limit severely the options available to this and all future governments. Following the report,Fox said he was angry over the leak,but defended his right to lobby the prime minister during an ongoing strategic defence review.

British intelligence sources,who have been concerned about the possibility of a Mumbai-style attack in Europe,confirmed that they believed a plot was being hatched by militants based in Pakistan.

Sky News said the plan was in an advanced,but not imminent stage. The report said the European plot had been severely disrupted following intelligence sharing between Britain,France,Germany and the US. It is not known whether the attackers are already in Europe.