U.K. Files Charges In Terror Kidnap Plot

A British prosecutor confirmed Friday that one of several people arrested in Birmingham faces terrorism charges for allegedly plotting to kidnap and kill a soldier.

Police on Jan. 31 arrested nine suspects, and media reported the raids were in connection with an alleged plan to abduct, torture and behead a British Muslim soldier and broadcast the killing on the Internet.

The Crown Prosecution Service's statement was the first official confirmation that the arrests were connected to a suspected a plot to kill a soldier. Three of the men have since been released without charge, while one is still being held but has not yet been charged.

Of those still in custody, "one has been charged with an offense of engaging in conduct to give effect to his intention to kidnap and kill a member of the armed forces," prosecutor Sue Hemming told a news conference, identifying the man as Parviz Khan, 36.

The official charges cite his activities between November and his arrest last week.

All five men are charged with helping supply equipment for use in terrorist acts and helping in arranging to provide money or property that they were aware could be used for terrorism, between March and January, prosecutors said.

The four other men were named as Mohammed Irfan, 30, Zahoor Iqbal, 29, Hamid Elasmar, 43, and Amjad Mahmood, 31.

Mahmood is also charged with failing to give authorities information between Dec. 27 and Jan. 31 that could have prevented Khan and the others from committing a terrorist act, prosecutors said.

"That particular charge relates to ... the kidnap of the soldier," Hemming said.

David Shaw, the West Midlands police officer in charge of the investigation, told the news conference that police were analyzing more than 4,500 seized items, including computers, documents and mobile phones.

He said police had "made extraordinary progress" in the nine days since the arrest.

"While the charging of some of those arrested is a very significant development, I don't want to leave you thinking this inquiry is now complete," Shaw added.

The five men were to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates in London Friday.