UK police free 2 bomb plot suspect, hold 9

British police investigating a suspected plot to blow up transatlantic airliners have freed two suspects and obtained permission to continue questioning nine others.

Police charged 11 people on Tuesday in the suspected plot and had been holding 11 others pending a decision on whether to charge them.

They did not name the men they freed on Wednesday, but Sky News reported that one was Tayib Rauf of Birmingham, Britain's second city. His brother Rashid Rauf has been arrested in Pakistan, where authorities called him a ringleader of the plot.

Police later said they had obtained a judge's permission to continue questioning eight of the additional suspects for a further week, and one for just 24 more hours.

Under new anti-terrorism powers that came into force last month, police can hold suspects without charge for up to 28 days, but must seek a judge's permission every seven days.

British police announced on August 10 they had thwarted the plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic.

Those charged yesterday included eight British Muslims accused of conspiracy to murder and three accused of other terrorism-related offences. Police gave the first description of the evidence in the case yesterday, saying they had found bomb-making materials, suicide notes and "martyrdom videos".

- REUTERS