LONDON: The head of a British intelligence service said his country helped European countries thwart four planned terrorist attacks on their territory in 2017. The Guardian newspaper has quoted Jeremy Fleming, head of the British Center for Government Communications, which is the equivalent of the US National Security Agency, saying that “London played a major role in disrupting terrorist operations in four European countries, last year. Continental Europe benefits directly from cooperation with the UK in the field of security, and our ability to interact contributes to saving lives.” Fleming who was at Nato headquarters in Brussels, stressed the need for the EU and the UK to maintain mutual access to secret information data after Brexit. “This cooperation must continue after Britain leaves the European Union, as this exchange is in the interests of the UK and all its European partners.” Fleming’s statement came after EU officials hinted at possible security data sharing with post-Brexit Britain.