London Police Charge 2 Men With Encouragement of Terrorism, Attacks Preparation

Two men were charged with encouragement of terrorism and preparation of terror attacks on Thursday following their arrest in the United Kingdom's county of Essex on June 30, the Metropolitan police said in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On July 1, the London police said three men suspected of preparing terrorist attacks had been arrested in the county of Essex and East Sussex.

"They were charged on Thursday, 13 July: Mohammed Kamal Hussain, 28… was charged with support for a proscribed organisation under section 12 Terrorism Act 2000;  two counts of encouragement of terrorism under section 1 Terrorism Act 2006 and acts in preparation of terrorism under section 5 Terrorism Act 2006," the statement said.

The second man, Mohammed Ashfaqur Hemel, aged 31, was charged with encouragement of terrorism, according to police.

Both men will appear before the Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, police said, adding that the third suspect arrested with the other two was released earlier in the day without charges.

Following a number of terror attacks perpetrated in the United Kingdom earlier this year, the country remains on a "severe" threat level for international terrorism, meaning an attack is highly likely.