Muslims serving in the Armed Forces, Civil Service and the police are new targets for British-based Islamists after detectives foiled an alleged plot to kidnap and behead a soldier home on leave from Iraq.

Security sources said last night that a gang of British extremists had allegedly drawn up a hitlist of Muslim soldiers who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan to become the first victims in the UK of an al-Qaeda style “online” kidnap and beheading. The terror suspects are believed to have narrowed their choice to ashortlist of three men to be captured while on home leave.

Last night one of the soldiers was understood to be in protective custody after a six-month intelligence operation culminated in a series of predawn raids in Birmingham involving 700 police. Senior officerssaid the alleged plan was to force the soldier, under torture, to denounce his role in the military and then behead him on camera.

Like Ken Bigley, the British contractor murdered after being seized in Baghdad in September 2004, the hostage was to be paraded in an orange boiler suit like the uniforms worn by prisoners at America’s Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba.

The plan was to be carried out within 72 hours because the plotters knew the kidnapping would result in an intensive police search, security sources said. The intention was to announce the precise time of the killing, film the execution and then post it on an extremist website with a warning that other British Muslim “collaborators” would face a similar fate for taking part in the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One investigator said that Muslims would have been given the clear message: “Don’t go out and kill your brothers.” The Army has recently launched a recruiting drive in the West Midlands for young male and female Muslims.

The group allegedly spent months compiling a list of Muslims as potential targets. At least one they are said to have picked is believed to live close to a number of raided homes.

As well as servicemen, police believe the kidnappers were planning to abduct Muslim civil servants and others perceived as working for the British military machine. This would have been the first terrorist kidnap and execution in the West.

Experts regard this as a sign that British Muslim militants may be adopting methods more extreme than those in the Middle East. Al-Qaeda’s leaders in Iraq called a halt to filmed beheadings because they alienated many Muslims.

Counter-terrorist investigators are concerned that such a plot could indicate increasing sophistication among extremists. The suspected plotters may have believed that kidnappings pose fewer risks than trying to mount bomb attacks because the purchase of large amounts of material risks alerting police. It is understood thatsenior officers decided to make their move after a number of the alleged kidnappers appeared to be gearing themselves up to strike. One said: “This was a terrifying plot which was close to fruition.”

Eight suspects were arrested at their homes in Birmingham. A ninth was picked up on a motorway on his way into the city during the afternoon. Most of the suspects were born in Britain; all are of Pakistani origin and aged under 35.

Police are investigating possible links to terror training camps run by al-Qaeda in Pakistan. The investigation, code-named Operation Gamble, began with intelligence in Britain and abroad.

MI5 and officers from every police force in the country have been involved in six months of intelligence and surveillance. The suspects are believed to have travelled round the country staking out potential victims. A number of others believed to be involved in the group are still abroad.

Eight homes and four commercial premises, including two bookshops, a cyber café and a general store, were raided.

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