Four plead guilty to discussing Britain terror plot

Four men have pleaded guilty to engaging in discussions in preparation of terrorist acts in Britain, BBC reported on Friday.

Zahid Iqbal, Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, Umar Arshad and Syed Farhan Hussain admitted facilitating, planning and encouraging travel overseas.

The four, aged between 21 and 31, were arrested in a series of anti-terror raids in Luton, Bedfordshire, in 2012.

The Woolwich Crown Court heard that the four downloaded computer files containing practical instruction for an attack.

They purchased survival equipment and collected funds for terrorist purposes. The offences took place between January 2011 and April 2012.

Following their guilty plea, further charges of possessing documents including the Al Qaeda magazine Inspire were not pressed.

The men were charged with possessing copies of a manual 44 Ways to Support Jihad, written by Anwar Al Awlaki, a radical American Muslim cleric of Yemeni descent who was killed last year in a US drone strike.

Ahmed and Arshad were also said to have held a copy of 21 Techniques of Silent Killing.

Arshad was also alleged to have possessed The Al Qaeda Manual, while Hussain was alleged to have had The Book of Jihad and a copy of The Explosives Course 2.

The judge adjourned the case for sentencing April 15.