British counterterrorism authorities have charged two men living in London with membership in the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah and with attending military training camps in Lebanon.

The suspects, Annis Makki, 40, and Mohamed Hadi, 33, were first arrested at their home addresses in London in April and were rearrested last week after prosecutors authorized terrorism charges. Together, the two men face nine separate terrorism-related offenses, according to police.

“This has been a painstaking investigation,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, noting that detectives worked closely with overseas law enforcement agencies to build the case.

Makki is charged with attending a Hezbollah terrorist training camp at the Birket Jabbour airbase in Lebanon in 2021, as well as being involved in the preparation of terrorist acts, membership in Hezbollah, and publicly expressing support for both Hezbollah and Hamas — two organizations designated as terrorist groups by the United Kingdom.

Hadi is accused of belonging to Hezbollah and of attending training camps in southern Lebanon, including one in Baffliyeh in 2015 and another at the Birket Jabbour airbase in 2021, police said.

The charges highlight growing concerns among Western security agencies about Iran-backed terrorist groups recruiting, training, and maintaining operatives connected to Europe, even as Hezbollah continues to deny involvement in attacks outside the Middle East.

Murphy sought to reassure the public, saying authorities do not believe there is an immediate threat to public safety linked to the two men’s alleged activities.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)