A British citizen who was arrested last year on terrorism charges was found guilty on Tuesday, according to a report from AFP.
Khalid Ali, a 28-year-old plumber from north London was found guilty on one count of “preparing terrorist acts in the UK and two counts of possessing an explosive substance with intent.”
Ali disappeared from his North London neighborhood in 2011 and was reported missing by family members. He spent the next five years in Afghanistan constructing improvised explosive devices (IED) aimed at U.S. and coalition troops. Ali told investigators he had also directly fought British troops in Afghanistan and had attended a Taliban sponsored al-Qaida training camp.
According to the BBC, DNA and fingerprint samples obtained by the FBI link Ali to several bomb fragments and parts that have been recovered from different war zones. Ali claims to have personally detonated about 300 bombs.
In 2017, Ali was arrested outside of the Parliament building armed with three knives. During questioning, Ali stated he wanted to “deliver a message” to British politicians.
“Jihad is what we do. We are mujahideen,” he told investigators during the interview.
According to AFP, Ali had no reaction when he was sentenced. He will be back in court for sentencing in July.