Convicted terrorist Brusthom Ziamani is understood to be one of the suspects in the terror attack (Picture: PA)

An incident which saw two inmates stab a prison guard while wearing fake suicide belts is being treated as a terror attack.

One of the suspects is understood to be convicted terrorist Brusthom Ziamani, 24, who was jailed in 2015 for plotting to behead a soldier.

The ‘vicious’ and ‘cowardly’ attack happened while their cells were unlocked at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, just after 9am on Thursday.

It is believed Ziamani and his fellow inmate suddenly started knifing the guard from behind, leaving him suffering from wounds to his face, neck and chest.


It is believed they used improvised bladed weapons to stab the guard, while wearing belts ‘with various items crudely attached’, said Met Police.

Brusthom Ziamani has been named as one of two inmates who allegedly carried out a ‘cowardly and vicious’ attack on prison staff at HMP Whitemoor (Picture: PA)

The two inmates were subsequently detained by security officials at the 458-capacity maximum security jail, who also suffered injuries while restraining them.



In total five members of staff, including the targeted guard, were taken to hospital and have since been discharged.

Police said both inmates suspected to be involved in the attack remain in prison, however no arrests have yet been made.

It is believed Ziamani carried out the attack alongside a Muslim convert who was jailed for a violent offence.

Ziamani, a follower of radical preacher Anjem Choudary, 52, was found guilty of planning a terror attack in 2015 over a plot to behead a British soldier.

He was arrested while carrying a 12 inch knife and hammer in a rucksack and the Old Bailey later heard he had researched the location of Army cadet bases in south-east London.

Earlier, he had shown his ex-girlfriend weapons, described Fusilier Lee Rigby’s killer Michael Adebolajo as a ‘legend’ and told her he would ‘kill soldiers’.

The attack happened just after 9am at HMP Whitemoor (Picture: PA)

At the age of 19 he was sentenced at the Old Bailey to 22 years in prison, reduced to 19 on appeal.

A prison spokesperson said it does not ‘tolerate assaults on our hardworking officers and will push for the strongest possible punishment.’

A Met Police statement said: ‘Due to the circumstances relating to this incident, it was deemed appropriate for the investigation to be carried out by officers from the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command…

‘The incident itself was quickly contained and dealt with by prison staff and from our enquiries thus far, there is nothing to suggest any continuing threat inside or outside of the prison system linked to yesterday’s incident.

In a tweet, the general secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA), Steve Gillan, wrote: ‘Having liaised with the Whitemoor committee today an official statement will be made tomorrow morning by the POA in a press release.

‘Nothing will be said on social media by the POA that compromises an ongoing police investigation into a very serious incident.’

HMP Whitemoor houses hundreds of Category A and B prisoners on three wings, including several of the highest-risk inmates.

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