Two arrested over Canada terrorist plot

TWO men have been arrested and charged with plotting a terrorist attack on a Canadian passenger train with support from al-Qaeda “elements” in Iran.

Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35, who live in Montreal and Toronto, were planning to derail a Via Rail train in Toronto, but posed no immediate threat, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said last night. US officials said there was no connection with the Boston Marathon attacks.

“This is the first known al-Qaeda planned attack we’ve experienced in Canada,” Superintendent Doug Best said. The Mounties’ assistant commissioner, James Malizia, said the pair had “direction and guidance” from “al-Qaeda elements in Iran”, though there was no reason to think the plan was state-sponsored.