Female ISIS supporter admits plot to bomb St Paul's Cathedral in London

A female ISIS supporter on Friday admitted to planning bomb attack at St Paul's Cathedral and a hotel in London. The woman who was facing terrorism charges pleaded guilty after she was caught in a sting operation.

Safiyya Amira Shaikh, 36, from Hayes, Middlesex in west London, admitted to the preparation of terrorist acts and dissemination of terrorist publications. 

Saffiya was taken into custody at Westminister Magistrates Court in October last year.

According to the statement released during her arrest, Saffiya was charged for staying in a hotel and carrying out reconaissance of the historic site as well as the hotel, including making contact with a person whom she believed would help her make explosives. 

As per the prosecutors, the British woman shared terrorist documents through groups using Telegram messaging service between August 2019 and October 2019. She also faced a second charge for preparing the words of allegiance to 'Daesh'also known as Islamic State. 

The prosecutors also alleged that she handed two bags to an unknown person with the intention that they would fit explosives into them.

Saffiya has been remanded in custody and is set to be sentenced on May 12.

The United Kingdom, between 2017-2019, have stopped over 19 terrorist attacks. According to the erstwhile UK chancellor, Sajid Javid, fourteen of the attempts were of Islamist nature and five others were inspired by 'extreme right-wing ideologies'.  

According to the Global Terrorism Index report published in 2019, however, terrorism has declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2019 due to successful retaliation against Boko Haram and ISIS. But, the report states that terrorism has largely shifted from region-based violence to the destabilising effect of it on international politics and security that largely depends on comparative centrality of a specific political or regional context to the world politics.