By IANS,
London : Indian-born engineering student Kafeel Ahmed fought off bystanders who attempted to put out a fire in a failed terror attack on Glasgow airport last year, according to prosecutors who have shown dramatic CCTV footage of the incident.
The footage was shown at a trial of two accomplices of Ahmed, who died of burn injuries after the July 30 attack in which he drove a burning Jeep Cherokee into the main terminal of the airport.
Iraqi-born doctor Bilal Abdulla, who was a passenger in the car, and Jordanian neurologist Mohammad Asha, also an alleged accomplice, are being tried for their suspected role in the attack.
Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw told the jury in a London court Monday that Ahmed and Abdulla lit and threw petrol bombs – in retaliation for what they see as the mistreatment of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq by Britain and the US.
“Kafeel Ahmed was also seen to pour and shake fuel from a can out of the window on his side of the vehicle. He threw another petrol bomb into that pool of fuel before getting out of the Jeep,” Laidlaw said.
He said Ahmed was engulfed in flames as he got out of the Jeep.
“As police and members of the public gathered in an attempt to extinguish the fire, Ahmed, even though he was alight, tried to obstruct them by punching and kicking out.”
Laidlaw said Abdulla too lashed out violently, breaking one man’s leg and knocking out his tooth.
The CCTV footage shows dozens of travellers running away as the car, laden with gas cylinders and petrol, crashes into the terminal.
“Fortunately for those within the building, the Jeep became caught against the right-hand side of one of the entrance doors. Undeterred and in a very determined attempt to penetrate the building, the driver then reversed the vehicle out,” Laidlaw said.
“With the engine revving and the tyres screeching, he made the first of a number of attempts to crash through the airport doors. He repeatedly struck the pillars or door frame until the vehicle became trapped,” he added.