A student nurse on Friday appeared in a British court after he was charged with carrying a home-made bomb to the maternity unit of the hospital where he worked and for planning an attack on an air force base.
On January 20, the police arrested Mohammad Farooq, aged 27, outside St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, northern England and confiscated a bomb, which prosecutors called a “viable” pressure-cooker bomb, and which contained a mixture of 13.7 kilogrammes (30 pounds) of a homemade low-explosive.
It was also alleged by prosecutors that, earlier this month, the Royal Air Force base’s “hostile reconnaissance” was carried out by Farooq after he was encouraged to attack it on online platforms.
He has also been charged with preparing to carry out an act of terrorism related to the air base plan, which seemed to be motivated by Islamic extremism according to the prosecutors.
The prosecutors also charged Farooq with possession of an explosive substance as well as an imitation firearm at the hospital premises.
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According to prosecutors Farooq carried a firearm in the hospital because he was holding a grudge against one of its staff members.
Farooq appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court through a video link. The court did not ask him to enter pleas and ordered his detainment till the next court hearing scheduled to be held at Central Criminal Court in London on February 3.
(With inputs from agencies)
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