British police charge 4 people with terror offenses including swearing oath to IS

LONDON – British authorities on Friday charged five young London men with terror offenses including obtaining a gun, conducting surveillance on a police station and taking an oath of allegiance to IS.

The Metropolitan Police force said the men, arrested in London over the past two weeks, were charged with preparing acts of terrorism between July 8 and Oct. 7.

The men were accused of offenses including taking an oath of allegiance to the banned Islamic State group, procuring a Baikal handgun and ammunition and using Google Street View to conduct reconnaissance on a police station and an army barracks in west London.

The men are named as Tarik Hassane, 21; Suhaib Majeed, 20; Nyall Hamlett, 24; and Momen Motasim, 21.

Police also say the men "considered, discussed and decided to act on the fatwa of Al Adnani." Abu Mohammed al-Adnani is a spokesman for the IS militants.

A fifth man, Nathan Cuffy, 25, was charged with a firearms offense.

All five are set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.