British man, 43, charged with directing activities of terrorist group

A British man has been charged with directing the activities of Somalia-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

Jermaine Grant, 43, has also been accused of three counts of attending a commando training group with the organisation in the Somalian city of Kismayo.

He has also been charged with two counts of possession of an article, specifically an AK47 assault rifle, for terrorist purposes.

The charges, which are variously under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Terrorism Act 2006, relate to a period between December 31, 2007, and January 1, 2010.

During this time, Al-Shabaab, which is an Islamist political and paramilitary organisation, was operating in Somalia.

Grant, of no fixed address, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Acting Commander Kris Wright, of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: 'These are serious charges and come as the result of a long-running investigation.

'This case shows we will always pursue anyone suspected of being involved in terrorist activity, no matter where in the world or how long ago it is alleged to have taken place.'

Al-Shabaab is a jihadi insurgent group active in Somalia and, more recently, in Kenya and across East Africa.

It developed in the early 2000s alongside and later in partnership with the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), a group of Sharia courts in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu.

The coalition overran the city and installed themselves as administrators there and across much of the rest of the country in 2006.

Al-Shabaab, which translates as 'Movement of Jihadi Youth', was the young, radical armed wing of the UIC.

The union had been founded in the early 2000s to handle the fallout from the ongoing Somali Civil War.

But the organisation outlasted the UIC, which was ousted from Mogadishu in December 2006 by Ethiopia.

Addis Ababa staged the interventions over fears for its security and regional and international interests.

Al-Shabaab went on to launch a successful guerilla insurgency, conquering large parts of Somalia, including crucial port cities like Kismayo.

It now administrates many of these regions, primarily across the south and southwest of the country, which is de facto referred to as the Islamic Emirate of Somalia.

The group, which is allied to transnational Islamist terrorist organisation al-Qaeda, is estimated to have between 5,000 and 9,000 fighters.

This is a breaking news story - further updates to follow.