• Attack: A man arrested after stabbing in a mosque in central London
  • Germany. "I still have the noise of gunshots in my ears and the blood in my eyes' retina"

A 36-year-old woman, a supporter of the Islamic State, has recognized before a British court that she planned a suicide attack with explosives in St. Paul's Cathedral. Michelle Ramsden , born in Hayes (east of London) and known as Safiyya Shaikh after her conversion to Islam, was arrested thanks to the intervention of two policemen infiltrated in an extremist network, with whom she contacted to try to get explosives.

Ramsden was arrested in October 2019, accused of "preparing an act of terrorism," and will be sentenced on May 11. At the first court hearing he admitted his guilt and said his intention was to cause as many victims as possible.

"I want to kill many," he confessed in one of the first encrypted messages and addressed to the police who pretended to be a marriage of Islamic radicals. "I want to go to a church, on Christmas and Easter, to kill more. I've always sent threats, I want my threats to be real."

In another message he sent a photo of the St. Paul's Cathedral. "I want to do it in this place, sure," he said. "I would like to blow up a bomb and shoot until my own death. I want to destroy this place and the infidels inside."

A week later visited by his own foot the cathedral, he recorded a video and sent it to their contact: "I want explode bomb under the dome want to do something also in a hotel and then in the Church, until I die.".

Finally, the suspect met with the couple of camouflaged police officers, to whom he handed two bags to be returned with material to make homemade explosives. She was arrested a few hours later.

Michelle Ramsdem converted to Islam in 2007 and in 2016 began contacting extremist groups. She had been signed by the intelligence services months ago , when her radical vision raised suspicions in the mosque where she went to pray regularly in London. Some time later it was discovered in a propaganda chat of the Islamic State, ordering attacks against churches and other targets in Europe.

Scotland Yard continues to investigate the attack with a knife on the central mosque in London. Police have not revealed the name of the 29-year-old, allegedly another convert to Islam, who attacked the dead Rafat Maqlad , 69, minutes after the call to prayer on Thursday.

Maqlad was injured in the neck and shoulder, but was released within a few hours and returned to the mosque with his arm in a sling. "I forgive my aggressor," he said. "This is my destiny . " The muezzin said he did not know his attacker and said the Regents Park mosque is the most open and multinational cult center in the British capital. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan , attended Friday's prayer to show his solidarity after the tragic incident.

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