A major anti terror operation was launched across Hampshire today.

Police swooped on addresses across the county carrying out a number of arrests.

In total three men and three women are being held following the operation.

Details of those arrested have not been released but they are from Portsmouth, Farnborough and Greenwich in London.

They are being held following the operation by the South East Counter Terrorism Unit, Thames Valley Police said.

The men, aged 21, 24 and 25, are being held on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and remain in custody, Scotland Yard said.

The South East Counter Terrorism Unit worked alongside officers from Hampshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police to carry out a number of search warrants this morning.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: ''Officers would like to reassure residents that the police activity today is in relation to conflicts overseas and is not linked to any immediate threat to local communities or anywhere else in the UK.''

Of the six people detained today, all three male suspects are from Portsmouth, while the 23-year-old woman is from Farnborough and the 29-year-old woman is from Greenwich, police said.

The latest arrests come after five men were detained last week in a series of dawn raids in central and west London.

Counter-terror officers said they had disrupted what was believed to be the early stages of what could have turned into a ''significant plot''.

Two of the five men have since been released from custody, while the other three suspects remain in custody after a warrant of further detention was granted at a magistrates' court.

A search has taken place at a business address in west London and searches were taking place at a further four residential addresses in north west London last night, police added.

Tarik Hassane, who lives in North Kensington, and Rawan Kheder, who lives in Chelsea, have been named locally as two of the men arrested last Tuesday.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 nor the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.