ANTI-TERRORIST officers arrested five men after raiding an address in Edmonton which has been linked to an Irish dissident group's recent reign of terror on the UK mainland.o

As the Independent went to press, the five, along with another arrested in Liverpool, were being held in central London in connection with the terrorist bombing campaign.

Police have been granted custody extensions from magistrates to interview the six, aged from 20 to 41, until this afternoon (Wednesday).

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry of the Met's Anti-Terrorist Branch said: "These arrests are the result of a lengthy investigation into dissident Irish republican terrorist groups.

"Anti-Terrorist and Special Branch officers worked closely with the security services in planning the operation and were supported as ever by both the An Garda Siochana and the police service of Northern Ireland."

Officers backed up by firearms teams swooped on the address in the Lower Edmonton area shortly after 6am on Thursday morning.

Forensics have spent the last few days carrying out fingertip searches of the house.

Two other suspects, one arrested by officers in West Yorkshire on Saturday evening and another in Lincolnshire on Sunday evening have also been detained under anti-terrorist laws.

The Real IRA is suspected to have been behind a series of attacks in the London area over the last two years.

A car bomb rocked the BBC TV Centre, a mortar attack was carried out on MI6 and Hammersmith Bridge, a Hendon sorting office and an Ealing railway line were also targeted.

During the aftermath of the BBC bombing, detectives traced the taxi used to a car yard in Edmonton.

DAC Fry added: "The Met would like to remind people to remain alert to the threat of terrorism from a range of terrorist groups and to contact the 24-hour confidential telephone line 0800 789 321 with information."