Three British Muslims found guilty in terrorist bomb plot

A London jury found three British Muslims guilty of planning terrorist bombings that were intended to cause more damage than the 2005 attacks against the city's transit system.

On July 7, 2005, bombs rocked Britain’s bus and subway system and killed 52 commuters.

The jury found Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid, 27, and Ashik Ali, also 27, guilty of a plot to detonate a bomb-filled backpack in crowded areas of the city, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The judge told them they will be sentenced to life in prison in April or May for their roles in the terrorism plot, AP said. The men were targeting sites in Birmingham, a city of about 1 million that’s 120 miles northwest of London, AP said.

“You were seeking to recruit a team of somewhere between six and eight suicide bombers to carry out a spectacular bombing campaign, one which would create an anniversary along the lines of 7/7 or 9/11,” Judge Richard Henriques said, according to AP. “It’s clear you were planning a terrorist outrage in Birmingham.”

The judge also called Naseer a “highly skilled bomb maker and explosives expert,” according to AP.

The three were among 12 who were arrested in September 2011 during counterterrorism raids in Birmingham, AP reported. Several others have already pleaded guilty in the plot, AP said.

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