01/08/2005

London bomb suspect has ‘no links’ to terror groups

The suspect arrested in Rome in connection with the failed bomb attacks in London on July 21 has no links to large international terrorist organisations, according to Italian police.

The head of Italy’s anti-terrorist police, Carlo De Stefano, said that 27-year-old Hussain Osman – also known as Hamdi Issac – was likely to have been part of an ‘ad hoc’ group, rather than a structured terrorist organisation.

It has also emerged that Osman, who is believed to have attempted to detonate a device on a Tube train travelling to Shepherd’s Bush, used a false name and nationality in order to apply for asylum in Britain. He claimed to be from Somalia, when in fact he was born in Ethiopia.

British police alerted Italian police when they suspected that Osman had fled the UK on a Eurostar train on July 26.

Italian police conducted checks on Italian phone numbers that had previously been in contact with Osman, which led to his arrest in the suburb of Tor Pignatarra.

Two of Osman’s brothers have also been arrested by Italian police.

British police have submitted a formal extradition request for the return of Osman to the UK.

Italian judges have 60 days to decide whether or not to extradite him.

All four main suspects in the July 21 attempted bomb attacks have now been arrested.

Yasin Hassan Omar, 24, who had been wanted in connection with the attempted explosion on a Tube near Warren Street, was arrested last Wednesday in Birmingham. Police have been granted extra time to question him regarding the attacks.

Muktar Said Ibrahim, 27 – suspected of attempting to blow up the Number 26 bus in Hackney - and Ramzi Mohammed, who is suspected of trying to detonate a device on Tube near Oval Street station, were both arrested at a flat in North Kensington on Friday.

The attempted bomb attacks came two weeks after the four suicide bomb attacks on three Tube trains and a bus, which killed 52 people on July 7.

Police are continuing to investigate both incidents, but they have played down speculation that they are hunting for a possible third suicide bomb cell, planning more attacks.

However, British Transport police have remained on high alert since the July 7 attacks.

(KMcA/SP)

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