Mohammed Rehman and Sana Ahmed. Image: Get Reading
The so-called Islamic State as well as its supporters have significant presence on social media. One suspected supporter may have got a bit too enthusiastic though, and announced his bomb-making plans on Twitter, which led to his arrest.That's allegedly the case with 25-year-old Mohammed Rehman, of Reading, UK, who broadcast on Twitter that his job consists of making "explosives for a living," according to local news outlet Get Reading.Rehman and his wife Sana Ahmed, 24, from Wokingham, appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with preparation for terrorist acts and possession of articles for terrorist purposes.The snippets of Rehman's apparent boasts and conversations came from an undercover intelligence officer, who noticed his Twitter activity.In an online altercation with someone else, Rehman allegedly wrote, "It's obvious you have no life, I make explosives for a living, what do you do?" He also reportedly tweeted "Westfield shopping centre or London Underground? any advice would be greatly appreciated," using the hashtag "#LondonAttack."The undercover agent then engaged Rehman directly, and the pair talked about carrying out attacks, with Rehman exhibiting support for the so-called Islamic State. Rehman and his wife were arrested shortly after, and recipes for explosives as well as large amounts of chemicals were allegedly found in Rehman's home.The brazen use of social media has been a common theme throughout the Islamic State's existence: the group aggressively spreads its propaganda material through various channels and services, and pro-ISIS hackers dump apparent government documents onto Twitter too. This time, however, that relative openness backfired.
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