BIRMINGHAM, Feb 1: British detectives investigating a suspected plot to kidnap and kill a Muslim British soldier quizzed nine men and searched properties across Birmingham, central England, on Thursday.

Officials arrested eight suspects in dawn raids on Wednesday and held another on a motorway over what media reports said was a conspiracy to abduct a soldier, torture, behead him and then post the killing on the Internet.

The murder would echo the fate of Briton Ken Bigley, kidnapped and later beheaded allegedly by Al Qaeda's then leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in 2004.

The motive for the killing would be revenge for Britain's military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and a warning to other Muslims not to serve in the armed forces, according to experts.

“Frankly, I am surprised it hasn't occurred so far in a western country. Any radicalised element or fringe group with those kinds of ideas could do it,” a former US intelligence official and expert on extremism, said.

A defence source has confirmed the target of the suspected plot was a Muslim in the British armed forces, which has 330 serving Muslims out of a total of 190,000 personnel.The ministry of defence refused to comment on media reports it had taken extra steps to protect Muslims in the military.

Detectives were examining numerous homes and businesses in Birmingham, Britain's second largest city and one of its most ethnically diverse with a large Muslim population.

One of the properties being searched was the Maktabah Islamic bookshop, publishers of the `Army of Madinah’ book by Dhiren Barot who was jailed for terrorism offences last year.

Barot admitted plotting to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and carry out `dirty bomb’ attacks in Britain.

“We are literally right at the foothills of what is a very, very major investigation for us,” said Assistant Chief Constable David Shaw of West Midlands police.

—Reuters