WASHINGTON:
A 20-year-old Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with planning a terrorist attack in New York City in support of Daesh, according to the US Department of Justice on Friday.
Khan, who is also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, allegedly planned a mass shooting at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn around October 7, 2024, almost a year after the Hamas attack in Israel. US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Khan’s objective was to kill “as many Jewish people as possible.”
The Department of Justice could not confirm whether Khan had secured legal representation. The indictment reveals that Khan attempted to travel from Canada to the United States to carry out the attack using automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that Khan was arrested in Ormstown, Quebec, located south of Montreal, and is due to appear in court in Montreal on 13 September.
The charges allege that Khan disclosed his plan to form an offline Daesh support cell to two undercover law enforcement officers. He instructed them to acquire AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for the attack, identifying specific sites for the planned attack. Prosecutors stated that Khan chose New York City due to its large Jewish population.
Garland thanked Canadian authorities for their assistance in the case, emphasising that no community, including Jewish communities, should live in fear of a hate-driven terrorist attack. If convicted, Khan could face up to 20 years in prison.
