Mastermind behind London bombings 'may have fled UK'
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, July 14, IRNA
London Bombings-Mastermind
Anti-terrorist police Thursday were continuing their investigations into last week's London bombings amid reports that the mastermind behind the series of explosions that killed at least 52 people may have fled the UK.
According to the Scotsman newspaper, the so-called fifth suspect is believed to have identified the targets and taught the others how to trigger rucksack bombs. Like the other four, he was said to be British-born of Pakistani origins.
Quoting security sources, it suggested that he had been abroad and returned to Britain last month but was thought to have fled the country the day before the attacks.
"The leader of the terrorist cell is understood to have been involved in previous terrorist operations and have links with al- Qaeda in the United States," the paper reported.
Unlike the other four suspects, who are thought to have killed themselves when detonating the devices, the so-called mastermind was not identified by name.
London's Evening Standard reported that explosive had been found at an apparent "bomb factory" in Leeds, northern England, where the suspected combers came from, and added that there were fears that the mastermind could have recruited a second bomb team.
Police were said to be also for searching for an Egyptian chemistry student, named Magdi El-Nashar, who was thought to have handed over his flat in Leeds suburb of Burley to the gang - or possibly to the fifth man - before vanishing.
HC/1412
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