Washington (AFP) – Two Michigan men have been arrested for allegedly plotting to carry out an attack on behalf of the Islamic State (IS) over the Halloween weekend, according to US court documents unsealed on Monday. FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Friday that the bureau had thwarted a “potential terrorist attack” in the northern US state and made multiple arrests but provided few details about the alleged plot.
The criminal complaint accuses Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud and other unnamed co-conspirators of planning to stage an attack in Ferndale, a Detroit suburb, with LGBTQ clubs and bars the potential target. Ali and Mahmoud, who are both US citizens, allegedly purchased firearms and ammunition and visited a gun range as part of a plot to “commit a Federal crime of terrorism,” the complaint said.
In an early Friday raid on Ali’s and Mahmoud’s residences in Dearborn, another Detroit suburb, FBI agents seized three AR-15 style rifles, two shotguns, four handguns and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, according to the complaint. It said the social media accounts of the two men contained numerous references to “Islamic extremist and IS-related content.”
Multiple references to “pumpkin” in online chats and telephone conversations led the FBI to believe the attack was planned for Halloween weekend, according to the complaint. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the suspects had a “detailed plan to carry out an attack on American soil.” “This plot was stopped before innocent lives were lost,” Bondi added on X.
© 2024 AFP
