A man was shot by British police in an armed house raid in east London on Friday and later was arrested with another man on suspicion of terrorism, the Sky TV reported.

They are Abdul Kahar, 23, and Abdul Koyar, 20, both of Bangladeshi origin. About 250 policemen took part in the raid.

It is understood that the operation was related to a suspected chemical device, although none has been found.

"Because of the very specific nature of the intelligence, we planned an operation that was designed to mitigate any threat to the public either from firearms or from hazardous substances," said Peter Clarke, head of the Anti-Terrorist Branch.

"Some officers were armed, and others equipped with protective clothing," Clarke said in a statement released by Metropolitan Police.

Police said the operation was not linked to last July's suicide bomb attacks on London's transport system which killed 52 commuters.

The raid followed discussions between the Security Service, the police anti-terrorist branch and biochemical experts from the Health Protection Agency, police said.

Source: Xinhua