Massachusetts State Police arrested 11 heavily armed men after a long standoff on the highway near Boston.

State Police Col. Christopher Mason told a briefing following the nearly nine-hours-long standoff that several firearms were seized from the men, who said they belonged to the Rise of the Moors.

The FAQ section of the group, "Rise of the Moors" describes them as peaceful Americans who do not recognize the US law. 

Police closed the parts of the highway after the men did not comply to hand over the firearms, and a shelter-in-place order was issued for Wakefield and nearby Reading.

The incident began about 1:30 a.m. when a state trooper stopped to check two vehicles parked in the emergency breakdown lane of the highway in Wakefield, some 15 miles north of Boston and saw men in military-style gear with long guns and pistols. They said they were traveling from Rhode Island to Maine for "training.

"You can imagine 11 armed individuals standing with long guns slung on an interstate highway at 2 in the morning certainly raises concerns and is not consistent with the firearms laws that we have in Massachusetts," Mason said.