British Army soldier, 21, ‘placed fake BOMB at RAF base and tried to get information for terrorism’
A SERVING member of the British army has appeared in court charged with carrying out a “bomb hoax” and a terrorism offence.
Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, is accused of placing a device at an RAF base made out of “three cannisters with wires” with the intention of making others believe it was a bomb.
The young serviceman, who lived at Beacon Barracks in Staffordshire, is also alleged to have tried to elicit information which would have been “useful to a terrorist”.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court this morning wearing blue jeans and a grey sweatshirt.
Khalife spoke only to confirm his name, address, and date of birth.
In August 2021, Khalife is alleged to have “elicited or attempted to elicit information about an individual who was or has been a member of His Majesty's forces which was of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
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In January this year he is accused of placing the cannister device at RAF Stafford “with an intention of inducing in another a belief that the said article was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property”.
The court heard Khalife had been missing from his barracks since the start of January and was arrested on January 26.
Prosecutor Tom Williams said: “He was arrested in or near his car, he had been missing since the beginning of January.
"There were active efforts to look for him.”
He is currently being held at Belmarsh prison and was not released on bail.
No plea was entered and District Judge Annabel Pilling adjourned the case until next Friday.
An MOD spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a serving member of the Army has been arrested following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.
“All further enquiries should be directed to the Metropolitan Police.”