Remaining bomb suspects arrested

· Oval and bus suspects held · Shepherd's Bush suspect held in Rome · More arrests at Liverpool St

The three remaining chief suspects wanted by police investigating the failed suicide bombings of July 21 were today arrested in west London and in Rome. The man sought in connection with the attack at Oval tube station, who has not been named, was arrested at Dalgarno Gardens, a block of flats in Ladbroke Grove after a dramatic siege, a security source told Guardian Unlimited.

Muktar Said-Ibrahim, who police believe attempted to blow up a No 26 bus in Shoreditch, was arrested less than a mile away at a residential property in Tavistock Road, the source said.

The Italian interior minister, Giuseppe Pisanu, said the fourth bomber, wanted in connection with the attempted bombing of Shepherd's Bush underground station, has been arrested in Rome.

Mr Pisanu was quoted on the Italian news agency Ansa as sending his congratulations to police in the city. The bomb suspect was named as Osman Hussain, a Somali.

Another man was arrested at one of the raided addresses in west London where dozens of armed officers, some wearing gas masks and carrying machine guns, were deployed in operations that began after 10am. Sources said at least one of the properties had been under surveillance overnight.

Also this afternoon, armed police arrested two women at Liverpool Street station in the City of London under the Terrorism Act 2000 and evacuated the area. The suspects were pinned to the ground, witnesses said, and suspects packages were being examined.

The early part of the raid in Dalgarno Gardens, a housing association complex near Wormwood Scrubs prison, was described by resident Lisa Davies, who broadcast in a dramatic running commentary by telephone live on Sky News.

Speaking at around 1.30pm she described a tense siege developing with officers who had surrounded the building and were shouting at a man to give himself up.

"They are about to pounce" she said, "they are asking him to leave the flat fully undressed or in his underwear ".

She went on: "They keep telling him that he will be okay if he gives himself up."

Officers could be heard shouting in the background, asking him: "What is the problem? Why can't you come out?"

At around 2.30pm a man was seen being led away from the flats by two officers, his identity obscured by a white forensic suit. It was not clear if there were any other people inside the targeted flat at Dalgarno Gardens, or any immediate indication if it contained explosives.

She stopped speaking to the television station after being moved to a safer area. Scotland Yard made an urgent appeal to broadcasters not to carry running commentaries by witnesses of operations.

As officers first approached the building, at least six small explosions were heard.

It was not clear what caused the explosions. Ms Davis described the blasts as "shots", but there was speculation they could have been controlled blasts caused by the police or officers using stun grenades.

The bus bomb suspect was held at an address at Tavistock Road, close to the A40 Westway. A property was raided after the area was cordoned off at around 11.30am. Large numbers of armed police were on the streets and residents across a wide area were ordered to stay indoors and a police helicopter was seen overhead.

Following the arrests today and Wednesday's arrest in Birmingham of Yasin Hassan Omar, who was suspected to the Warren Street attempted bombing, only one of the main four suspects still remains at large.

Police have admitted the possibility of a fifth bomber being involved in last week's bungled attacks, which were an attempt to recreate the carnage of July 7, when four suicide bombers murdered 52 people.

Witnesses who saw the arrest of two women this afternoon in the City of London at Liverpool Street station described how the suspects were pinned to the ground by armed officers.

One woman is thought to have been in a queue for the Stansted Express when she was pushed to the ground by police. The station was then evacuated.

The operation was carried out by Scotland Yard officers who were searching the site. Both the mainline station and the underground station were evacuated.

"We can confirm that two women were arrested under the Terrorism Act on the main concourse at Liverpool Street station earlier today," said a Scotland Yard spokeswoman.

"They remain in custody but it is too early to say if they are connected to the London attacks."

Both women were said to be wearing traditional Muslim dress. One is thought to have been in a queue for the Stansted Express when she was pushed to the ground by police.

Earlier, Scotland Yard played down reports that a British al-Qaida suspect wanted in connection with the London bombings has been captured in Zambia.

Haroon Rashid Aswat, who grew up in West Yorkshire, was arrested last week and is being held for his alleged role in setting up a terror camp in Oregon, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Foreign Office confirmed it was seeking consular access to a British national reported to be in custody in Zambia.

This glorious day for British law enforcement, intelligence and counter-terrorism units will stimulate a sense of pride and a boost in morale in the public.

This will go a long way in muting the appeasers, at least for a while.

Nothing succeeds like success, LOL.

Leni

The three remaining chief suspects wanted by police investigating the failed suicide bombings of July 21 were today arrested in west London and in Rome. ...

If they already caught one, and now they caught three more, and there are only four main suspects, how can one "remain at large"?

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