CNN
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The Justice Division has charged a Pakistani nationwide with allegedly plotting to assault Jews in New York on the anniversary of the October 7 terror assaults in Israel.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was going to hold out the assault in assist of ISIS, prosecutors allege, and instructed an secret agent he wished to focus on New York as a result of it has the “largest Jewish inhabitants in America.”
Khan is charged with trying to offer materials assist to a overseas terrorist group. He was arrested on Wednesday in Canada. The costs have been unsealed Friday.
“The defendant is alleged to have deliberate a terrorist assault in New York Metropolis round October seventh of this yr with the said aim of slaughtering, within the title of ISIS, as many Jewish folks as doable,” Lawyer Common Merrick Garland stated in a press release, including that “Jewish communities — like all communities on this nation — mustn’t should worry that they are going to be focused by a hate-fueled terrorist assault.”
In November 2023, Khan, who lives in Canada, started allegedly discussing his assist for ISIS on an encrypted messaging utility with two individuals who, unbeknownst to him, have been undercover legislation enforcement officers. Khan instructed the officers that he was making an attempt to create “an actual offline cell” of ISIS that might goal Jewish establishments round an unnamed metropolis, in line with court docket paperwork, and instructed the officers to purchase firearms for these assaults.
Khan allegedly instructed the officers that he wished to hold out the assaults on both October 7 or 11, as a result of “oct 7 they are going to absolutely have some protests and oct 11 is yom.kippur,” a significant Jewish vacation.
By August of this yr, prosecutors allege, Khan determined that he wished to hold out the assaults at a Jewish middle in Brooklyn.
It’s simple to “goal jews” in New York due to the big Jewish inhabitants, he allegedly instructed the undercover officers, including that “even when we dont assault a[n] Occasion[,] we may rack up simply quite a lot of jews.” As soon as he selected the situation of the assault, Khan allegedly paid a human smuggler to assist him cross the border into the USA.
On September 4, Khan allegedly used three separate automobiles as he tried to cross Canada and enter the USA. He was stopped roughly 12 miles from the US-Canada border, in line with the Justice Division.
This story has been up to date with further particulars.