Saudis accused of plot to attack British warships

The Foreign Office last night welcomed the arrest in Morocco of three terrorist suspects said to be planning suicide attacks on British and US warships.

Moroccan police said they had broken up a terrorist cell with links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'ida network with the detention of three Saudi Arabian nationals.

The unnamed men, holding Saudi passports, were arrested last month. They were said by Moroccan officials to have been plotting operations against British and US naval vessels patrolling the Strait of Gibraltar.

A Moroccan official said: "Morocco's security services have dismantled a network of al-Qa'ida who planned terrorist attacks on US and British warships crossing the Strait of Gibraltar."

A Foreign Office spokesman in London said: "We welcome the arrests if they involve individuals who may have been planning terrorist attacks against UK assets."

The official said the arrests had been made with the help of intelligence services of "several friendly countries". It was not clear whether British intelligence was involved.

The three were in custody in Casablanca, the official said. The arrests came as the US Coast Guard also issued a warning about possible terrorist attacks on US interests by either swimmers or divers.

Commander Jim McPherson, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said yesterday that ports and ships were operating under heightened security following the warning, which was was issued over the weekend after reports of a possible attack. The US government warned last month of possible terrorist activity by scuba divers.