Man on trial in UK over alleged attempt to join Islamic State militants in Somalia

LONDON — A man accused of using an artificial intelligence chatbot to help him contact the Islamic State group in Somalia in an alleged attempt to become a militant has gone on trial in the United Kingdom.

Mohamed Mohamoud, 22, is facing charges at Winchester Crown Court of preparing acts of terrorism between October 1, 2024, and March 5, 2025. He denies the allegations.

Prosecutors told the court that Mohamoud, who arrived in Britain from Somalia in 2020 to live with his mother and brother in Bristol, became radicalised while in the UK and developed a desire to travel to Somalia to join Islamic State fighters.

Prosecutor Naomi Parsons told jurors that Mohamoud wanted to join the group’s militants operating in mountainous areas near Bosaso, in Somalia’s Puntland region, and viewed doing so as a “duty”.

The court heard that after travelling to Somalia in January 2025, Mohamoud allegedly struggled to find a contact who could help him join the group and turned to an AI chatbot for assistance, telling it he wanted to “join the Mujahideen”.

Prosecutors said Mohamoud bought equipment including hiking boots and a solar-powered battery pack and later made contact with two alleged Islamic State recruiters. One recruiter reportedly warned him that the group was facing heavy fighting and air strikes in the region.

According to the prosecution, Mohamoud responded that he was “longing for martyrdom” and believed there was “no better moment” to join the group.

The court was told that Mohamoud later returned to the UK but allegedly continued communicating with Islamic State contacts, saying he would return “anytime” if asked.

The trial is ongoing.