Man faces charge of trying to blow up plane

Law enforcement officials in Washington said tonight the alleged Christmas Day terrorist is to be charged in Detroit with trying to blow up a plane.

Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab will be charged in federal court later tonight, the officials said.

The charge has not yet been unsealed.

Mutallab allegedly tried to ignite an explosive device on board a Northwest Airlines plane from Amsterdam just before it landed in Detroit on Friday.

He allegedly claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over US soil.