Lagatar24 Desk
New York: A Pakistani national residing in Canada has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS while plotting a terrorist attack in New York City, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice. The accused, 20-year-old Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, allegedly planned to target a Jewish community in Brooklyn, aiming to kill as many Jewish people as possible, according to U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
“Khan was determined to kill Jewish people in the U.S., nearly one year after the horrific Hamas attack on Israel,” Attorney General Garland said in the statement. The FBI played a key role in foiling the plot, with FBI Director Christopher Wray expressing pride in the work of the agency and its partners in disrupting the terrorist plan.
“The FBI will continue working closely with our partners to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to commit violence in the name of ISIS or other terrorist organizations. Fighting terrorism remains our top priority,” Wray added.
According to the complaint, Khan intended to travel from Canada to New York City to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, all in support of ISIS. His plan was in development since November 2023, when he began distributing ISIS propaganda through social media and encrypted messaging platforms. During this time, Khan communicated with two undercover law enforcement officers, detailing his support for ISIS and instructing them to acquire AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials for the attack.
Khan also shared specific plans on how he would cross the Canada-U.S. border and pinpointed the dates of October 7 and October 11 as ideal for the attack. He chose these dates because October 7 marks the anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, and October 11 is Yom Kippur, a significant Jewish holiday.
Khan has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The arrest follows the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began on October 7 last year when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel from Gaza, leading the Israel Defense Forces to declare a state of war readiness. The conflict continues to unfold.
