Mohammad Farooq Sentenced to Nearly 40 Years for Planned Terror Attack in England

Mohammad Farooq, a 29-year-old British man, has been sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison for plotting a bomb attack at St James's Hospital in Leeds and earlier targeting RAF Menwith Hill. Arrested in January 2023, Farooq was inspired by Islamic State propaganda and had manufactured a viable pressure cooker bomb containing nearly 10 kg of explosives. Initially aiming for the highly secured RAF base, he shifted to the hospital, intending to detonate the bomb in the maternity unit to kill as many nurses as possible. His plan was thwarted when patient Nathan Newby engaged him outside the hospital, preventing what could have been a catastrophic attack. The judge highlighted Farooq's dangerousness and noted that his radicalization occurred through extremist material accessed online. He was found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism and possession of explosives with intent to endanger life.