Two men involved in alleged plot to kill British PM appear in court

LONDON, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two men appeared in court in London Wednesday on charges related to an alleged plot to blow up 10 Downing Street and kill British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, from north London, was charged with preparing acts of terrorism and assisting Mohammed Aqib Imran in terror planning. Imran, 21, from Birmingham, was charged with preparing acts of terrorism.

A media report on Sky News said the prosecutor in court Wednesday morning outlined details of the case against the two men, alleging that Rahman had planned to use a bomb in a carrier bag to blow open the security gates at Downing Street, with an intention to then gain access to 10 Downing Street to kill May with a knife.

It was claimed he also intended to wear a suicide vest.

During a seven-minute hearing, the two accused only spoke to confirm their names, ages and addresses.

Both men were detained on Nov. 28 during raids by armed officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command. They had been held for questioning since their arrests and were charged with the terrorism offences Tuesday evening.

The two men were remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court and will next appear at the Central Criminal Court in London, known as the Old Bailey, on Dec. 20.

The plot was one of nine foiled in the past twelve months by Britain's top security agency, MI5. Enditem