Cops near Parliament nab knife-bearing man

LONDON — Armed police carrying out a counterterrorism operation yesterday swooped in on a man they said was carrying knives in a bag near Britain’s Parliament.

A European security official familiar with the individual said the suspect was known to British security agencies and was thought to have been inspired by the Islamic State group.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, said the discovery of knives suggested an attack might have been close to fruition.

Authorities haven’t released the man’s name. London’s Metropolitan Police said the 27-year-old suspect was stopped and detained “as part of an ongoing operation” by the force’s counterterrorism unit.

No one was injured in the incident, which unfolded just yards from where an attacker killed five people with a vehicle and a knife last month.

It sent a jittery jolt through an area that has been on edge since the March 22 attack.

Police said knives were recovered during the operation and that there was “no immediate known threat” to the public.

Police said the man was being held at a London police station on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. A bearded, black-clad man could be seen standing on the sidewalk, surrounded by police, before being put into a police vehicle.