FIVE men were facing questions from anti-terrorist police in London today after raids in Halifax and Manchester.

Two were detained at separate addresses in Halifax and three in Manchester early yesterday.

Anti-terror police from Scotland Yard and colleagues from the West Yorkshire force swooped on two addresses in Halifax at around 6am, arresting two men, aged 25 and 29.

In a separate development in Manchester shortly afterwards police arrested two 24-year-old men and one aged 32.

The three Manchester arrests - two in Cheetham Hill and one in the Longsight area - were reported to be connected to the recent disappearance of a terror suspect who had been on a control order.

In Halifax, police have been searching houses at Thrum Hall Close, Park View, West Grove Terrace and Royd Terrace.

The house in Royd Terrace, off Skircoat Moor Road in the Savile Park area, was cordoned off and officers were seen leaving the property.

A police van was parked across the empty driveway of the large house. The curtains were drawn. Neighbours said they did not want to comment.

A West Yorkshire police spokeswoman said the arrests were related to allegations of aiding and abetting an offender.

She added that it was "linked to other allegations relating to other alleged terrorism-related activities".

Whitehall sources said both operations related to the "broader picture of Islamist extremism" rather than specific plots to attack targets in the UK.

Sources said the Halifax operation involved alleged extremist propaganda material used to spread radical Islamist ideology.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said only that the Halifax operation was not connected to the investigation into the London bombings of July 7, 2005.

A police van was also stationed in West Grove Terrace and police were seen entering an address.

Mushtaq Ahmed, 57, said a family lived at the property.

He said there were three brothers, two of whom were married. They had been living at the address for at least 15 years.

He said the mother and father had gone to Bangladesh two or three months ago and had not returned.

Supt Alan Ford, of the Divisional Command Team at Calderdale Police, said: "At about 6am there was an intelligence-led operation led by officers from the Metropolitan Police and assisted by West Yorkshire Police.

"Two males were arrested under the Terrorism Act. The addresses, plus another two in the Halifax area, are currently subject to ongoing searches.

"There was no forced entry involved. Officers were given access to the properties by owners with their consent."

Supt Ford said a meeting had been held last night with leaders from the local community to keep them informed of what was going on.

He added: "We've got a long track record of positive community relations. "That's what's enabled us to pull together a meeting of the wider community and community representatives so quickly."