Six men from Birmingham on Tuesday admitted that they had planned to bomb last June an anti-Islam rally by the far-right English Defence League (EDL) in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.Omar Mohammed Khan (28), Mohammed Hasseen (23), Anzal Hussain (24), Mohammed Saud (22), Zohaib Ahmed (22) and Jewel Uddin (27) — all British nationals — were found guilty of “preparing an act of terrorism” and would be sentenced later.
The Birmingham Coalition of Muslim Organisations and Mosques Muslims said the six were not acting on behalf of the Muslim community.
“The Muslim community in Birmingham wishes to make one thing absolutely clear: These acts are not carried out in our name,” it said in a statement.
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Police said the plot was discovered accidentally. When the men were heading back to Birmingham they were stopped by a patrol police for a routine check and were found to be driving a car without a valid insurance. Its search revealed a cache of deadly weapons, including two sawn-off shotguns and ammunition, as well as an improvised explosive device packed with 458 pieces of metal shrapnel. Three home-made pipe bombs, samurai swords, machetes and numerous knives were also seized.
They were carrying copies of a leaflet they meant to distribute at the rally. It read: “... To the EDL (English Drunkards League), enemies of Allah: Today is a day of retaliation for your blasphemy of Allah and his messenger Mohammed.”
Police said the devices they carried “would have certainly maimed and possibly killed people depending on how close they were”.
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The men were not linked to any militant group.