From The Canberra Times

British Islamist terrorists plotted to kill police officers or soldiers, possibly in a drive-by shooting on London streets, it was alleged in a London court on Friday. The Four British men were said to have sworn allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State – also known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and had conducted reconnaissance of a police station and a Territorial Army barracks.

The group was accused of planning to follow a fatwa by a senior Islamic State terrorist who called for followers to kill “disbelievers” in their home countries.

Details of the alleged plot emerged on Friday as the four men were charged with terrorist offences. A fifth man was charged with firearms offences linked to the plot. They were arrested as part of a series of raids across west and central London earlier this month. Only last week, police chiefs issued an unprecedented alert to officers to be extra vigilant for their own safety because of the heightened terror threat.

Tarik Hassane, 21, of Ladbroke Grove, west London, Suhaib Majeed, 20, of St John’s Wood, north London, Nyall Hamlett, 24, of Notting Hill, west London, and Momem Motasim, 21, of Bayswater, west London, were charged yesterday with intending to commit acts of terrorism or assisting others to do so. Nathan Cuffy, 25, of Notting Hill, west London, was charged with unlawfully passing on a handgun and ammunition.

Three of the men are said to be former classmates from the same London school.

An unusually detailed charge sheet issued by Scotland Yard said the four charged under the Terrorism Act had allegedly sworn an allegiance to Islamic State and had Instagram images of two Metropolitan Police officers and two Metropolitan Police community support officers.

Plot uncovered: British police officers were targets of an alleged British terror plot.

They were said to have carried out “hostile reconnaissance” of Shepherd’s Bush Police Station and White City Territorial Army Barracks in London using Google Street View.

They were also accused of downloading, circulating and “considering or deciding” to act on a “fatwa of Al Adnani”. Abu Muhammad al-Adnani is a leader and spokesman for Isil who has issued a call for mujahideen, or Islamic warriors, in Europe, America, Australia and Canada, to kill “the disbeliever, whether he is civilian or military”.

On the charge sheet, the four men are accused of conducting research into makes of handguns and having arranged for the procurement of a Baikal handgun with a silencer and ammunition before entering into an agreement to procure one.

They also discussed the sourcing of, and suitable make of, a moped. It was alleged that they planned to store it in Shepherd’s Bush.

Police said the suspects gave instructions on the use of secure communications and had entered into covert discussions.

They allegedly demonstrated trade craft by the use of code words for money, mopeds and firearms and discussed and agreed the sourcing of a firearm, Scotland Yard said.

They also possessed a copy of three extremist magazines including one that had graphic images of the Islamic State beheading of Steven Sotloff, the American journalist, it was claimed. After being charged, the five men arrived at Westminster magistrates’ court yesterday afternoon under heavy police guard. They were transported in two vans watched over by a helicopter and several cars.

Details of the alleged plot came after the country’s top counter terrorism policeman warned his officers were stretched across an “incredibly high” number of investigations into suspected Islamist fanatics.

Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said several terrorist plots were now being disrupted in Britain every year and there had been 218 arrests in the past 12 months alone.

Telegraph, UK

IMAGE: Headquarters: New Scotland Yard, London, the base of the Metropolitan Police. Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

For more on this story go to: http://www.smh.com.au/world/british-police-and-soldiers-on-target-list-of-alleged-islamic-stateinspired-terror-plot-20141018-1180px.html#ixzz3GhpBBo00