NEW DELHI: A Pakistani man living in Canada was arrested on Wednesday this week for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on Jews in New York City. The attack was planned to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel from Hamas.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was nabbed in or around Ormstown, Canada, which is about 12 miles from the US border, the Justice Department said.The US government said it will seek to extradite him from Canada.
“The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
“Jewish communities — like all communities in this country — should not have to fear that they will be targeted by a hate-fueled terrorist attack,” he added.
According to the officials, Khan had planned to attack a Jewish center in Brooklyn in support of the Islamic State group, or ISIS. He was also considering carrying out a shooting on Oct. 11, which is Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.
According to the complaint, Khan attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of the IS at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn, New York.
Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for the IS in or about November last year when, among other things, Khan distributed IS propaganda videos and literature.
“If we succeed with our plan, this would be the largest attack on US soil since 9/11,” he said in one of the messages.
As part of his plan, Khan attempted to reach the US-Canada border around September 4th. He utilized three separate vehicles to traverse Canada towards the US before being intercepted in or near Ormstown.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was nabbed in or around Ormstown, Canada, which is about 12 miles from the US border, the Justice Department said.The US government said it will seek to extradite him from Canada.
“The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
“Jewish communities — like all communities in this country — should not have to fear that they will be targeted by a hate-fueled terrorist attack,” he added.
According to the officials, Khan had planned to attack a Jewish center in Brooklyn in support of the Islamic State group, or ISIS. He was also considering carrying out a shooting on Oct. 11, which is Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.
According to the complaint, Khan attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of the IS at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn, New York.
Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for the IS in or about November last year when, among other things, Khan distributed IS propaganda videos and literature.
“If we succeed with our plan, this would be the largest attack on US soil since 9/11,” he said in one of the messages.
As part of his plan, Khan attempted to reach the US-Canada border around September 4th. He utilized three separate vehicles to traverse Canada towards the US before being intercepted in or near Ormstown.