UK prosecutors say knifeman who tried to enter Israeli embassy carried 'martyrdom note'
LONDON - A man armed with two knives who tried to enter the grounds of Israel's London embassy was carrying a "martyrdom note" and told police he wanted to send a message to end the war in Gaza, prosecutors said after charging him with a terrorism offence.
Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33, appeared in the dock at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, having been charged with preparation of a terrorist act and two counts of possession of a bladed article.
He is accused of having attempted to gain unauthorised access to the grounds of the embassy in West London on Monday evening.
Prosecutor Kristel Pous said Albadri had been seen by police trying to scale a wall outside the embassy on April 28.
Albadri was carrying what Pous described as a martyrdom note, without giving further details. She said Albadri had told police officers he wanted to "do something to send a message to the Israeli government to stop the war" in Gaza.
Judge Tan Ikram remanded Albadri in custody ahead of a hearing on May 7, to give prosecutors the chance to get the Attorney General's consent to proceed with the terrorism charge.
"We remain in close contact with those based at the Embassy of Israel and we appreciate that these charges will be concerning to them," Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London police's Counter Terrorism Command, said in an earlier statement.
"I would like to reassure the public, however, that from our enquiries so far, we are not seeking anyone else in connection with this matter and we do not believe there is any wider threat to the public."
The Israeli embassy said in a statement that British security forces had prevented "an attempted terror attack" from a man armed with a knife, and no staff or visitors had been injured.
"We thank the British security forces for their immediate response and ongoing efforts to secure the embassy," the statement posted on X said.
"The embassy of Israel will not be deterred by any terror threat and will continue to represent Israel with pride in the UK."
The Community Security Trust, which provides safety advice to Britain's Jewish communities, said it was speaking to police but was not aware of any related threats. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine's Zelensky announces military shakeup, commander who resigned given new assignment
Ukraine's Zelensky announces military shakeup, commander who resigned given new assignment KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a shakeup in Ukraine's military on June 3, including the appointment to a new post of a commander who tendered his resignation over a deadly Russian attack. Mr Zelensky, speaking in his nightly video address, said Major-General Mykhailo Drapatyi, who offered to quit as commander of Ukraine's land forces over an attack on a training area, would now serve as the new commander of joint forces. Mr Zelensky said another commander, whom he did not identify, would take charge of land forces. He said the appointment had also been approved of Brigadier-General Oleh Apostol as commander of paratroops and Major Robert Brovdi as commander of unmanned systems. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
International Business Times
an hour ago
- International Business Times
Mohamed Sabry Soliman: Colorado Terror Attack Suspect's Wife and 5 Children Arrested by ICE for Illegally Staying in US
The wife and all five children of suspected Colorado terrorist Mohamed Sabry Soliman have been arrested by federal immigration agents, sources told The New York Post. Soliman, 45, an Egyptian citizen, who is accused of injuring 12 people in an antisemitic assault in Boulder using a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails, had been living in the U.S. illegally for two months after his legal status expired on March 28. After his arrest on Sunday, ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents took his family into federal custody, according to a Department of Homeland Security official who spoke to the publication. It's understood that Soliman's family was also in the U.S. illegally. Chilling Details Emerge This came as it was revealed on Monday that Soliman had planned to carry out a mass shooting, but was unable to buy a gun due to his immigration status. Soliman, 45, now faces up to 624 years behind the bars if found guilty, officials said on Monday. Soliman confessed to a detective that he originally planned to shoot his victims and had even taken a concealed-carry class to learn how to use a firearm, according to authorities. However, Boulder Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty said at a press conference on Monday that the Egyptian citizen could not buy a gun because his U.S. visa was blocked. Soliman made a brief appearance in a Denver court on Monday afternoon, wearing an orange jail uniform and white bandages wrapped around his head. When the judge asked if he understood the protective orders issued on behalf of the 12 victims, he replied yes. District Attorney Michael Dougherty said that Soliman is now charged with 16 counts of attempted murder, which could result in up to 384 years behind bars if he is found guilty. He also faces a 48-year sentence for using two Molotov cocktails and another 192 years for the "attempted use" of 16 unused incendiary devices that were found near his arrest location. Authorities also confirmed he has been charged with federal hate crimes. Mark Michalek, the FBI's special agent in charge in Denver, said that although evidence suggests Soliman acted alone in the attack, authorities are continuing to explore all potential angles and follow every lead in the investigation. No Prior Criminal Record Authorities said the suspect was not known to federal agencies prior to Sunday's incident. Court records reveal that Soliman had been tracking and intentionally targeting a local pro-Israel walking group called Run For Their Lives, which has been holding weekly walks to show support for Israeli hostages captured by Hamas following the October 7, 2023 terror attacks. Soliman told investigators that he planned to "kill all Zionist people" and "wished they were all dead." He said he found out about the group — including the planned route of their most recent walk — through their Facebook page, and positioned himself along Boulder's busy Pearl Street to carry out the ambush. Soliman carried out the attack using a homemade flamethrower, he fashioned by filling a garden hose with 87-octane gasoline and igniting it with a lighter. He also threw two Molotov cocktails during the attack. According to his arrest warrant, Soliman told detectives multiple times that he "wanted to be dead." Soliman lived in Colorado Springs — roughly 100 miles south of Boulder — left handwritten notes for his family, which he hid in a desk drawer at their home. Officials said that Soliman lived in Kuwait for 17 years before coming to the United States. He entered the country on a tourist visa through California and moved to Colorado Springs in 2022.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
US announces visa restrictions for central American government officials
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday announced visa restrictions for several unnamed Central American government officials he said were connected to Cuban medical mission programs that include elements of forced labor and the exploitation of Cuban workers. Rubio did not name the officials nor the countries they are from. "These steps promote accountability for those who support and perpetuate these exploitative practices," he said in a statement. "The Cuban labor export program abuses the participants, enriches the corrupt Cuban regime, and deprives everyday Cubans of essential medical care that they desperately need in their homeland." Cuba's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Havana has for decades rejected such accusations. Rubio in February expanded a visa restriction policy to target Cuban officials believed to be tied to a labor program that sends Cuban workers overseas, particularly healthcare workers. Cuba's health service generates major export earnings by sending doctors and health workers around the world. Since its 1959 leftist revolution, Cuba has dispatched an "army of white coats" to disaster sites and disease outbreaks around the world in the name of solidarity. In the last decade, they have fought cholera in Haiti and Ebola in West Africa. But Cuba has also exported doctors on more routine missions in exchange for cash or goods in recent decades, an increasingly critical source of hard currency in a nation suffering a deep economic crisis. The United States and Cuba have had a strained relationship since Fidel Castro took over in the 1959 revolution, and a U.S. trade embargo has been in place for decades. Rubio, a former U.S. senator and the son of immigrants who came to Florida from Cuba in the 1950s, has long opposed more normal relations with Havana, dating back to the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama. He has signaled a tougher stance on the communist-run island, reversing a last-minute effort by the Biden administration to loosen sanctions on long-time foe Cuba and complicating money transfers to the island. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
