Report links Paris militant group to Britain, police cautious

The militant network behind last month's attacks in Paris had links to people in Britain, the Wall Street Journal has said in a report that British police described on Saturday as "speculative".

Several people suspected of having connections to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Islamic State militant and alleged ringleader of the Nov. 13 attacks, are based in Britain, according to two unidentified Western officials the Journal cited late on Friday.

The officials told the Journal those people, including some of Moroccan heritage, were based in the Birmingham area in central England, about 120 miles (190 km) from London.

There has been no official suggestion in London of any direct links between the group that carried out the attack that killed 130 people and British militants. But jihadi groups are often loosely arranged and contacts, including the use of social media, are widespread.

West Midlands Police, based in Birmingham, said on Saturday that media reports regarding the Paris attackers and potential contact with people or places in the city were "speculative".

Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale said the force's counter-terrorism unit was "working hand-in-hand" with counter-terrorism colleagues in London, the national counter-terrorism network and security................

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