An active member of the British army awaiting trial on terrorism charges escaped from a London prison where he was being held on Wednesday, the city’s Metropolitan Police said, CNN reported, News.ro reported.

Daniel Abed Khalif disappeared from Wandsworth prison, located in the south-west of the British capital, shortly before 8 am local time.

He was awaiting trial for terrorist offenses and alleged violations of the State Secrets Act.

Khalifa is a soldier and has been accused of planting fake bombs at a military base, PA Media reported.

“The police appeal to citizens with an urgent appeal to help find a 21-year-old man who escaped from prisons,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. “From our initial enquiries, it is believed that he escaped from the prison at around 07:50,” Scotland Yard said.

Khalifa was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, red and white checkered pants and brown steel-toed boots, according to a statement from the Met. He is of slim build, has short brown hair and is 1.80m tall. Police believe he is most likely to be in the London area at the moment, although he may have traveled further afield.

“We have a team of officers carrying out extensive and urgent inquiries to find and apprehend Khalifa as quickly as possible,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit.

“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information to suggest and no reason to believe that Khalif poses a threat to the general public, but our advice is if you see him, stay away from him and call 999 immediately.” – added Murphy, referring to the UK’s emergency services hotline.

Escapes from British prisons are a rare phenomenon. UK government figures show there was just one escape in England and Wales in 2021-22, none in the previous period and only a few in previous years.