UK parliament terror suspect ‘linked to Afghanistan’

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A picture obtained from the Twitter account of James West, shows a car stopped on the sidewalk in front of the Palace of Westminster which houses the Houses of Parliament in central London on March 22, 2017 during an incident. British police shot a suspected attacker outside the Houses of Parliament in London after an officer was stabbed in what police said was a "terrorist" incident. The building in the heart of the British capital was immediately sealed off and MPs and staff ordered to remain inside. TV pictures showed traffic halted on the nearby Westminster Bridge and emergency vehicles swarming around. The busy bridge was completely shut off to traffic. / AFP PHOTO / Handout / James WEST / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / James West" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
A picture obtained from the Twitter account of James West, shows a car stopped on the sidewalk in front of the Palace of Westminster which houses the Houses of Parliament in central London on March 22, 2017 during an incident. / AFP /  James West /

(Agence France Presse) — A man arrested near the British parliament last month was involved in bomb-making in Afghanistan in 2012, it was alleged Wednesday as he appeared in court on terrorism charges.

Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, 27, was arrested not far from Prime Minister Theresa May’s office on April 27, in possession of three knives, London’s Westminster Magistrates Court heard.

He is charged with preparing terrorist acts relating to that incident, and faces two other charges of having or making explosives related to activity in Afghanistan in 2012.

The court heard that his fingerprints were alleged to have been found on parts for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered in Afghanistan that year by United States intelligence.

Ali, from north London, told the magistrate: “I don’t recognize the charges.”

He remains in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey court in London on May 19.