A Saudi student and his American female companion faces a five-year prison term and a fine of $250,000 (SR938,000) on charges of raising a false alarm by telephone of a possible church blow-up in Oklahoma City, sabq.com online paper said quoting US media.

Israa Jafar Ali, 19, and Sajjad Hussein Al Fehaidah, 23, of Saudi Arabia, were charged last Friday in Oklahoma City federal court. Ali told Edmond police that she heard a student from Saudi Arabia talking about carrying out a suicide bombing at an Oklahoma church, the paper said.

The American girl told police last September that the attack would occur within two to three weeks but the accused bomber was not in the country at the time of the false phone call.

Meanwhile, the federal prosecutors have lodged a case against the American girl and the young Saudi student for falsely reporting that a suicide bomber planned to target the church.

The two are expected to stand trial next week.