Man Convicted of Terrorism for Planning Attack on UK Military Base

Metropolitan Police officers are seen in London. EPA file photo
Metropolitan Police officers are seen in London. EPA file photo
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Man Convicted of Terrorism for Planning Attack on UK Military Base

Metropolitan Police officers are seen in London. EPA file photo
Metropolitan Police officers are seen in London. EPA file photo

A British man was convicted on Tuesday of planning an attack on a military base after being arrested with an explosive device in the grounds of a hospital, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said.

Mohammad Farooq was found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court, in northern England.

The 28-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, possession of an explosive substance in suspicious circumstances, possession of information likely to be useful to a terrorist, and other offences.

Farooq was arrested outside St. James's Hospital in Leeds, where he had previously worked as a student nurse, after showing a member of the public a gun and saying he "felt like killing everyone", the CPS said.

Police who attended the scene discovered in Farooq's bag a pressure cooker with wires attached, which bomb disposal experts found to be a viable explosive device.

The CPS said Farooq's electronic devices revealed evidence of his interest in radical ideology and research into RAF Menwith Hill, a nearby Royal Air Force base in North Yorkshire.

Farooq had pleaded not guilty to but was convicted of preparing a terrorist attack at RAF Menwith Hill. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said in a statement: "Farooq is an extremely dangerous individual who amassed a significant amount of practical and theoretical information that enabled him to produce a viable explosive device.

"He then took that homemade explosive device to a hospital where he worked with the intention to cause serious harm. Examination of his electronic devices revealed a hatred towards his colleagues at work and those he considered non-believers.

"It is clear from his internet searches that he was also conducting extensive research of RAF Menwith Hill, with a view to launching a potential attack."



Russian Defense Ministry Says Its Iskanders Destroy Two Patriot Launchers in Ukraine

 Smoke rises after recent Russian air strikes, in the town of Toretsk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine July 3, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises after recent Russian air strikes, in the town of Toretsk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine July 3, 2024. (Reuters)
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Russian Defense Ministry Says Its Iskanders Destroy Two Patriot Launchers in Ukraine

 Smoke rises after recent Russian air strikes, in the town of Toretsk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine July 3, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises after recent Russian air strikes, in the town of Toretsk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine July 3, 2024. (Reuters)

Russian Iskander ballistic missiles destroyed two launchers for Patriot surface-to-air missiles systems in Ukraine's Odesa region, the Russian defense ministry said on Sunday.

The attack took place in the area of the port of Yuzhne, the ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, adding that a radar station was also destroyed.

It was not clear when the attack on the Patriot launchers took place. A video released on Telegram by the ministry shows daylight explosions on uninhabited land near a coastline, after zooming onto difficult to identify objects.

Reuters could not independently verify the Russian report. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine's air force said that Russia attacked Ukraine with two Iskander ballistic missiles, but it did not provide further detail.