Paris militant group 'links to Britain'

The militant network behind last month's attacks in Paris had links to people in Britain, the Wall Street Journal says, citing Western officials.

Several people suspected of having connections to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Islamic State militant and alleged ringleader of the November 13 attacks, are based in Britain, according to two Western officials, the Journal said.

The officials told the Journal those people, including some of Moroccan heritage, were based in the Birmingham area, in central England, about 190km from London.

There has been no official suggestion in London of any direct links between the group that carried out the attack that killed 130 people and British militants. But Jihadi groups are often loosely arraigned and contacts, including the use of social media, are widespread.

Britain suffered by far its worst militant Islamist attack in July, 2005, when 52 people were killed by suicide bombs on underground trains and a bus.

Britain, which began bombing raids on Islamic State in Syria this week, is currently on an elevated alert level.