Terror Plot: 3 Guilty

Three men from Birmingham have been found guilty of leading a terrorist bomb plot that could have been bigger than the 7/7 bombings.

31 year old Irfan Naseer's , 27 yeard old Irfan Khalid (Pictured below), and Ashik Ali (pictured Below) who's the same age are all from Birmingham, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of planning the attack.

They were ''central figures'' in an Islamic extremist plot to set off up to eight rucksack bombs and possibly other devices on timers in crowded areas.

Police believe it was the most significant terror plot to be uncovered since the 2006 conspiracy to blow up transatlantic airliners using bombs disguised as soft drinks.

Khalid even boasted that the attack was ''another 9/11'' as ''revenge for everything''.

Naseer was found guilty of five counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, Khalid four, and Ali three, all between Christmas Day 2010 and September 19 2011.

For Naseer, from Sparkhill, Khalid, from Sparkbrook, and Ali, from Balsall Heath, this included planning a bombing campaign, collecting money for terrorism and recruiting others for terrorism.

Naseer and Khalid also travelled to Pakistan for training, and Naseer helped others travel to the country for the same purpose.

Prosecutor Brian Altman QC told the jury: ''The police successfully disrupted a plan to commit an act or acts of terrorism on a scale potentially greater than the London bombings in July 2005, had it been allowed to run its course.

''The defendants were proposing to detonate up to eight rucksack bombs in a suicide attack and/or to detonate bombs on timers in crowded areas in order to cause mass deaths and casualties.''

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Adam Gough said the men were ''the real deal'' and, if successful in detonating their devices, would have perpetrated ''another 9/11 or another 7/7 in the UK''.

It was Naseer's training in chemistry - and later training at a Pakistani terror camp - which gave him the know-how to draw up a blueprint of a viable improvised explosive device.

No precise targets were discussed by the three men but Mr Gough said the attack would have involved ''eight exploding rucksacks in crowded places'', while Ali hinted in a police interview that ''soldiers'' might have been the target - while later claiming he made this up.

Six others have admitted terror offences, who are also from Birmingham, are Rahin Ahmed 26, from Moseley; Mujahid Hussain, 21, from Yardley; Naweed Ali, 25, Ishaaq Hussain, 21, Khobaib Hussain, 22, and Shahid Khan, 21, all from Sparkhill.