A 35-year-old man has been arrested under the Terrorism Act and remains in police custody following searches in the Shankill Road area of north Belfast. Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Terrorism Investigation Unit carried out the operation on Friday morning, 30 October, as part of what police described as a proactive investigation into suspected terrorism offences.

A number of properties were evacuated after items were found at an address in Edwina Street. Police, including ammunition technical officers, remained at the house into the evening, and the public were asked to avoid the area until further notice. Sky News reported that detectives located several suspicious devices during the searches, although police themselves have not publicly confirmed the nature of the items recovered, and no charges have been announced.

Investigation continues, details limited

The distinction matters: what is confirmed so far is the arrest, the custody status, the searches at two properties, the evacuations and the recovery of items. Reports circulating online about the scale of the alerts and about accommodation for evacuated residents have not been officially confirmed, and police have urged people to rely on official updates rather than rumour.

The operation is continuing, with enquiries ongoing. Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward, while residents in the immediate area were affected by the cordon and the evacuations during Friday. No further details about the suspect, beyond his age, have been released, and no link to any wider threat has been stated by police at this stage.