Two British Brothers 'At Heart' of al-Qaeda Plot to Launch Mumbai-Style Terrorist Attacks on the West

But let's not overreact or anything.

At London's Telegraph (via Theo Spark):

Intelligence sources say the pair are part of a 10-strong team who were planning to launch shooting sprees on cities in Britain, France and Germany.

A Pakistani intelligence official, who is part of a team that has been tracking militants, said that they had been watching the two British brothers for nearly a year.

In recent weeks the men had been in telephone contact with London as they sought help in securing weapons and preparing the plot.

The official told the Associated Press: “They have been making calls to Germany and London. They have been talking about and looking for facilitators and logistics they need there to carry out terror strikes.”

The suspects, and the eight German members for the attack team, have backing from al-Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban, the official said.

Although he characterised the plot as “immature,” the Pakistani official warned against underestimating the group, adding: “It does not mean that they are not capable of materialising their designs. They are very much working on it.”

However, the official said that one of the brothers, named as Abdul Jabber, had been killed in a US missile strike on militant camps in Pakistan’s tribal borders.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, asked to see details about preparations for a Mumbai-style attack when he was notified about the plot around two weeks ago, sources said.

He was shown the results of a training exercise in the West Midlands earlier this year involving police marksmen, special forces and the emergency services.

The 10 Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai in India two years ago killed 166 people and injured more than 300, gaining world-wide notoriety.

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this week that Britons were among those killed by a US drone attack in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan and that British security services have traced their connections.

There are at least 20 Britons in training camps along the Afghan-Pakistan border who are being trained in firearms and explosives.

More at Af-Pak Channel, "Daily brief: Qaeda-linked terrorism plot uncovered."

RELATED: At LAT, "Pakistan Shuts NATO Supply Line."