Possible new threat

 MI5 the United Kingdom's counter-intelligence agency has uncovered evidence that Al Qaeda is planning a new stage in its terror campaign by inserting ‘surgical bombs’ inside people.

The move has been prompted by the recent introduction at airports of body scanners.

To avoid detection by airport body scanners Al Qaeda are said to be planning to surgically insert explosives into suicide bombers' bodies.

The explosive PETN would be placed in a plastic sachet inside the bomber’s body before the wound was stitched up like a normal operation incision and allowed to heal.

Male bombers would have the explosive secreted near their appendix or in their buttocks, while females would have the material placed inside their breasts in the same way as figure-enhancing implants.

The explosives would be detonated by the bomber using a hypodermic syringe to inject TATP through their skin into the explosives sachet.