On Christmas day, a 23-year old Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, allegedly ignited a small explosive device Friday shortly before a Northwest flight NW 253 from Amsterdam, Netherlands, landed in Detroit. Fortunately, the explosive went bad and resulted in second- and third-degree burns on his thighs.

The suspect later told the US authorities he had had explosive powder taped to his leg and used a syringe of chemicals to mix with the powder that was to cause explosion, the ABC television network reports.

Dr Sally Leivesley, an adviser on terrorism and public protection, told the BBC: "This has looked as though it's a first attempt of a new way to use the body to conceal explosives."

"They may be concealing the explosives on the human body - but on the inside upper leg, and we only know this by seeing a very badly burnt leg on the suspected perpetrator."

Source: BBC

Fellow passengers overpowered the suspect and he was handed over to authorities on arrival.

One of them, Syed Jafri, said he had been seated three rows behind the suspect and had seen a glow and smelled smoke.

Then, he said, "a young man behind me jumped on him".

"Next thing you know, there was a lot of panic," Mr Jafri added.

As the suspect was being tackled, he was reportedly shouting and a passenger said she had heard the word "Afghanistan".

Another unnamed passenger heard a "little pop", then saw "a bit of a smoke and then some flames".


After "yelling and screaming", the passenger added, "they took him out and it was really quick".

Fellow passenger Melinda Dennis said the man had been severely burned on one leg, and a fire extinguisher and water were used to put out the fire. Source: BBC

The sources told CNN that Abdulmutallab flew into Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on a KLM flight from Lagos, Nigeria. A U.S. administration official said the suspect did not undergo secondary screening in Amsterdam, though Schiphol officials say all connecting passengers bound for the United States undergo secondary searches.

Schiphol officials said they boosted the secondary screening for U.S.-bound connecting passengers Saturday, doing body searches and bag checks instead of using the usual metal detectors and X-ray machines. The measures were being implemented at the request of U.S. authorities, a Schiphol spokesman said.

Source: CNN

The flight was an Airbus A330 carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members.

The suspect's name was in a database indicating "a significant terrorist connection" although it did not appear on a "no-fly" list, said Mr King.

Mr Abdulmutallab reportedly told investigators he had links to al-Qaeda and had received the explosives in Yemen.

Source: BBC

There are speculations about the identity of the suspect in Nigeria.

Nigerian website Huhuonline.com, which has had several news scoops in the past, said the would be bomber is the son of a former chief of the United Bank for Africa and First Bank of Nigeria, Umaru Mutallab, an accountant and businessman.

There was no independent confirmation of the report.

Source: .

Aiports have increased security on all US bound flights.

In Britain, airports operator BAA said the Department of Transport had issued a notice to all British airport operators to tighten security.

"Passengers traveling to the United States should expect their airline to carry out additional security checks prior to boarding," BAA said in a statement, adding that passengers should leave more time to check in.

Source: b

It is reported that British police are searching buildings in London including an apartment block in central London. Police in the UK are conducting searches and inquiries into the man, believed to be a London student.