Homeland Security News

A British Islamic extremist has been sentenced to jail for life after being charged with planning a terror attack against American military personnel based in the U.K.

Junead Khan, 25, intended to stage a car crash near Lakenheath and Mildenhall, large U.S. airbases in eastern England, and then kill American airmen using a knife and detonating a bomb.

Khan was sentenced today at London's Kingston Crown Court. He was also found guilty of preparing to go join the Islamic State in Syria along with his uncle Shazib Khan.

"His offense was so serious that a life sentence must be imposed," Justice Edis said. "They were aware of the beheadings by Jihadi John very early in their adherence to Isis and also of the burning alive of a Jordanian pilot. Edis said the two men had been radicalized by the terror group Al-Muhajiroun.

Read more: ABC News

U.S. military officials are closely watching social media and news reports that say ISIS believes it may soon come under siege in Raqqa, Syria, its self-declared capital.

"We have seen this declaration of emergency in Raqqa, whatever that means," Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, told reporters Friday. "We know this enemy feels threatened, as they should."

Read more: CNN

The number of bombing incidents across the province increased by 44% over the past year, confirming concerns that paramilitary groups have stepped up their terror campaign with the use of explosives.  In the past 12 months there were 52 bomb attacks - including the booby-trap that killed prison officer Adrian Ismay. 

Read more: Belfast Telegraph

Shooting and bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State killed at least 16 people in northern Iraq on Friday, days after Islamic State's deadliest blasts so far this year in the capital stirred public criticism of government security measures.

Three gunmen opened fire with machine guns around midnight at a cafe in the predominately Shi'ite Muslim town of Balad where young men had gathered to start the weekend, police and hospital sources. At least 12 were killed and 25 wounded.

Read more: Reuters

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the new face of violent agitation in the oil-rich Niger Delta, yesterday issued a two-week ultimatum to owners and operators of oil concessions in the region to shut down their businesses and evacuate all their staff or face a "bloody attack".

The group had recently claimed responsibility for the destruction of Chevron and Shell's oil facilities in the western Niger Delta, resulting in the shut-in of several thousands of barrel of crude oil, disruption of crude supply to the Kaduna and Warri refineries, disruption of gas supply, and the attendant drop in power generation nationwide.

A statement by the group's spokesperson, 'Col Mudock Agbinibo', warned Chevron not to embark on the repair of the valve blown up last week, or several casualties would be recorded during any confrontation.

"To owners and operators of these oil blocks in our region, the Niger Delta Avengers is giving you two weeks ultimatum to shut down your operations and evacuate your staff.

"If at the end of the ultimatum, you are still operating, we will blow up all the locations. It will be bloody. So just shut down your operations and leave," the group warned.

Read more: All Africa