<p>The three suspected homegrown terrorists arrested over the past two days — two in Ottawa and one in London — have been charged in connection with a plot with links to senior al-Qaeda figures in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.<br /><br />Misbahuddin Ahmed, believed to be born in India, and Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh -- both from Ottawa -- and Khurram Syed Sher, of London, were accused of conspiring with three others — James Lara, Rizgar Alizadeh and Zakaria Mamosta — in a terror plot police traced back to Pakistan, Iran and Dubai.<br /><br />Hiva Alizadeh, 30, and Ahmed, 26, appeared in court yesterday after their arrests on Wednesday in Ottawa under the project codenamed "Operation Samosa".<br /><br />The trio were charged with conspiring to build bombs for attacks in Canada and raise money to fund IED attacks on Canadian troops in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Police refused to identify the targets of the alleged terrorists, saying that information would come out in court.<br /><br />"The arrests have prevented the gathering of bombs and the execution of one or many terrorist attacks," said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Serge Therriault.<br /><br />"This group posed a real and serious threat to the citizens of the national capital region and Canada's national security," Therriault said.<br /><br />Police said the accused had IED parts, including more than 50 circuit boards that could be used to remotely detonate bombs, but wouldn't say if the group had explosives.<br /><br />Robert Farrell, a former Canadian diplomat who had rented his house to Ahmed, was quoted as saying that Ahmed was born in India, but had lived for a time in Saudi Arabia.<br /><br />Ahmed, who works as an X-ray technician at the Ottawa Hospital, rented the home about a year ago, after responding to an ad Farrell had placed on an online rental site.<br /><br />Coalition sources in Kandahar say they are aware that IED components, rocket propelled grenades, ammunition and landmines coming from Iran have found their way to insurgents in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Third suspect Sher is believed to be arrested in southwestern Ontario where he recently moved. He is believed to be a doctor who graduated from McGill University medical school in 2005.<br /><br />The website for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario lists Sher as practising at the Thomas Elgin General Hospital in the Department of Anatomical Pathology.<br /><br />Pakistan-origin Sher appeared on the reality show "Canadian Idol" in 2008 singing a comical version of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated", complete with dance moves that include a moonwalk.</p>
<p>The three suspected homegrown terrorists arrested over the past two days — two in Ottawa and one in London — have been charged in connection with a plot with links to senior al-Qaeda figures in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.<br /><br />Misbahuddin Ahmed, believed to be born in India, and Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh -- both from Ottawa -- and Khurram Syed Sher, of London, were accused of conspiring with three others — James Lara, Rizgar Alizadeh and Zakaria Mamosta — in a terror plot police traced back to Pakistan, Iran and Dubai.<br /><br />Hiva Alizadeh, 30, and Ahmed, 26, appeared in court yesterday after their arrests on Wednesday in Ottawa under the project codenamed "Operation Samosa".<br /><br />The trio were charged with conspiring to build bombs for attacks in Canada and raise money to fund IED attacks on Canadian troops in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Police refused to identify the targets of the alleged terrorists, saying that information would come out in court.<br /><br />"The arrests have prevented the gathering of bombs and the execution of one or many terrorist attacks," said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Serge Therriault.<br /><br />"This group posed a real and serious threat to the citizens of the national capital region and Canada's national security," Therriault said.<br /><br />Police said the accused had IED parts, including more than 50 circuit boards that could be used to remotely detonate bombs, but wouldn't say if the group had explosives.<br /><br />Robert Farrell, a former Canadian diplomat who had rented his house to Ahmed, was quoted as saying that Ahmed was born in India, but had lived for a time in Saudi Arabia.<br /><br />Ahmed, who works as an X-ray technician at the Ottawa Hospital, rented the home about a year ago, after responding to an ad Farrell had placed on an online rental site.<br /><br />Coalition sources in Kandahar say they are aware that IED components, rocket propelled grenades, ammunition and landmines coming from Iran have found their way to insurgents in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Third suspect Sher is believed to be arrested in southwestern Ontario where he recently moved. He is believed to be a doctor who graduated from McGill University medical school in 2005.<br /><br />The website for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario lists Sher as practising at the Thomas Elgin General Hospital in the Department of Anatomical Pathology.<br /><br />Pakistan-origin Sher appeared on the reality show "Canadian Idol" in 2008 singing a comical version of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated", complete with dance moves that include a moonwalk.</p>