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Shehzad Tanweer (December 15, 1982 – July 7, 2005) is believed to have been the bomber who detonated a homemade explosive while travelling eastbound on the Circle Line between Liverpool Street and Aldgate, killing at least seven people in his role as part of the larger 7 July 2005 London bombing.

Biography

Tanweer was born in St Luke's Maternity Hospital, Bradford to Parveen Akhtar. Her husband, Mohammed Mumtaz Tanweer, was originally from the Faisalabad region of Pakistan. In 1984, the family moved to the Beeston area of Leeds, though most of his youth was spent in Colwyn Road, where they moved when he was seven. He attended Wortley High School, where he was described as moderate by his friends and acquaintances, then Leeds Metropolitan University, where he studied sports science before leaving for Pakistan in 2004 to attend a course in Islamic studies.

At the time of his death, he was working part-time in his father's fish and chip shop. His family also ran a curry takeaway and a butcher's shop. Known as Kaka (Little One), he was an avid cricket player, and practised several martial arts including jujitsu.

Tanweer attended several mosques including Bengali, and Stratford Street mosque in Beeston, where Mohammad Sidique Khan and Hasib Hussain are also thought to have worshipped, and frequented the Hamara Youth Access Point, a drop-in centre for teens, alleged to have been used as a recruitment centre by Khan.

Trip to Pakistan

After completing the hajj earlier in the year, Tanweer travelled to Pakistan for a course in Islamic studies at a madrasa. The Pakistani government has released footage of Tanweer arriving at Karachi International Airport with Mohammad Sidique Khan, believed to have been the ringleader of the London bombers, on Turkish Airlines Flight TK-1056 on November 19 2004. Tanweer and Khan stayed in Pakistan until February 8, then flew back to London together. Hasib Hussain, the youngest bomber, also flew into the airport on July 15, 2004 aboard Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight SV-714.

Intelligence sources say the school was located in Muridke, Pakistan, 20 miles outside Lahore, and is believed to be connected with Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, a banned militant Islamist group; however, the madrasa has denied any connection with Tanweer.

It is alleged there was a meeting in Faisalabad between Tanweer and Osama Nazir, a suspected member of Jaish-e-Mohammed, who has since been arrested for his role in a grenade attack on a church in Islamabad. Investigators also suggest that Tanweer may have met Zeeshan Siddiqui, who is associated with a number of militant groups and who was arrested in Pakistan in May 2005.

London bombing

Friends have told reporters that, several days before the attacks, Shehzad dyed his hair and eyebrows brown. Several days before the attacks he rented a red Nissan Micra from a local car-rental agency, and on 7 July, he drove the rental and his three accomplices to Luton in Bedfordshire, from where the group headed to London by train.

See also

• Mohammad Sidique Khan, Edgware Road train
• Hasib Hussain, No. 30 bus
• Germaine Lindsay, Piccadilly-line train

References

• Sandra Laville and Ian Cobain, "From cricket-lover who enjoyed a laugh to terror suspect", in: The Guardian, 13 July 2005
• Jason Bennetto and Ian Herbert, "From Leeds to London via Luton: the deadly mission of a suicide squad", in: The Independent, 13 July 2005
• Murphy, Brian (15 July 2005). "Chemist Denies Any Role in London Attacks". {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
• Gethin Chamberlain, "Investigators reveal London bomber's links to al-Qaeda, The Scotsman, 16 July 2005
• "'Father figure' inspired young bombers" by Sandra Laville, Audrey Gillan and Dilpazier Aslam, The Guardian, 15 July 2005
• "Pakistan militants linked to London attacks" by Luke Harding and Rosie Cowan, The Guardian, 19 July 2005

• Suicide bombing
• 1982 births
• 2005 deaths
• 7 July 2005 London bombings
• Terrorists