Terror attack thwarted in New York: Planned to attack Jews on October 7

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 20-year-old Pakistani national residing in Canada, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was arrested in Canada in connection with a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York on September 4. Khan was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The U.S. Department of Justice announcement included details regarding Khan's attack plans and the operation conducted.

Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated the following:

'The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City on October 7 of this year, with the goal of slaughtering as many Jewish people as possible in the name of ISIS. Thanks to the FBI's investigation and the swift action of our Canadian partners, the defendant was taken into custody. As I told the Canadian Minister of Public Safety yesterday, we are deeply grateful to our Canadian partners for their critical law enforcement work in this matter. Jewish communities—like all communities in this country—should not have to fear being targeted by a hate-fueled terrorist attack. The Justice Department will continue to work closely with our domestic and international partners to aggressively combat the threat posed by ISIS and other terrorist organizations and their supporters.'

Garland continued:

'The defendant is alleged to have been determined to kill Jews here in the United States, nearly one year after Hamas's horrific attack on Israel. This investigation was conducted by the FBI, and I am proud of the magnificent work the FBI team and our partners did to disrupt Khan's plot.'

FBI Director Christopher Wray also issued a statement, saying, 'The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to commit violence in the name of ISIS or other terrorist organizations. Counterterrorism remains the FBI's top priority.'

Allegedly, Khan, who resided in Canada, attempted to travel from Canada to New York, where he planned to carry out a mass shooting in the name of ISIS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York, using automatic and semi-automatic weapons. Around November 2023, Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others via an encrypted messaging application; during this time, Khan also distributed ISIS propaganda videos and texts. Later, Khan began communicating with two undercover FBI agents. The FBI agents, posing as ISIS supporters, were able to obtain key information from Khan regarding his plans.

During these conversations, Khan confirmed that he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter were planning to carry out an attack in a specific U.S. city. Among other things, Khan stated that he was actively working to create a 'real offline cell' of ISIS supporters to carry out a 'coordinated attack' using AR-style rifles and was 'targeting Israeli Jews scattered everywhere.' During subsequent conversations, Khan repeatedly gave instructions to acquire AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified the locations where the attacks would take place. Khan also provided details on how he would cross from Canada into the United States to carry out the attacks. In his conversations, Khan emphasized that 'October 7 and 11 are the best days to target the Jews.'

Khan will be brought before a judge once the investigation is completed.