Las US authorities On Friday, the Canadian authorities announced the arrest in Canada of an individual of Pakistani origin who they accused of planning a terrorist attack in New York in support of the jihadist organization. Islamic State (IS).
The accused, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested on September 4 in the Canadian town of Ormstown, about 20 kilometers from the border with USAas he was heading to New York, the Justice Department said in a statement.
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Khan’s plan, according to authorities, was to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons initially against a Jewish center in Brooklynalthough the accused later changed his objective, which was to cause the largest massacre in the United States since September 11, 2001.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the detainee is charged with “having planned a terrorist attack in New York City on or about October 7 with the stated goal of killing, in the name of ISIS, as many Jews as possible”.
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The U.S. authorities’ account says that in November 2023, Khan, who lived in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with other individuals through encrypted applications messages supporting the Islamic State.
Two of the people Khan contacted were undercover FBI agents, whom he informed of his plans and his attempts to create a terrorist cell armed with assault rifles.
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Garland said the investigation that led to Khan’s arrest was led by the FBI and that he spoke to Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Thursday to express his concern. “deep gratitude” for their cooperation.
