An Afghan national was arrested in the US state of Oklahoma for allegedly planning an attack on election day, the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
According to the indictment, the 27-year-old plotted to provide “material support” to the so-called Islamic State group (IS) and obtained firearms and ammunition to “conduct a violent attack on US soil in the name” of the group.
The FBI said it found communication between the suspect, Nasir A. T. and a person whom he believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State.
How was the suspect arrested?
Together with a minor co-conspirator, A. T. took steps to purchase two AK-47 rifles and ammunition from an undercover FBI official, leading to their arrest.
US authorities did not provide details about the co-conspirator, who is reportedly also Afghan and is A. T.’s brother-in-law, as he is a minor and therefore under special privacy protections.
In an interview following his arrest, A. T. allegedly said the attack was intended to target large gatherings of people, and that he and his co-conspirator were supposed to die as martyrs.
A. T. entered the US in 2021 as part of the Special Immigrant Visa Program, available to people who worked with the US army or under chief of mission authority as translators or interpreters in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The indictment did not mention whether the Afghan national was indeed a translator for the US armed forces.
Lone wolves, small groups pose biggest threat
FBI director Christopher Wray commended the arrest.
“I am proud of the men and women of the FBI who uncovered and stopped the plot before anyone was harmed,” Wray said.
The US Department of Homeland security said last week that the threat environment in the country was expected to remain high due to factors such as the upcoming elections and the war in the Middle East.
“Lone offenders and small groups continue to pose the greatest threat,” the department said in a statement, adding that organizations such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are still looking to conduct or inspire attacks on US soil.
ftm/rmt (Reuters, dpa)
*Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing the full names of alleged criminals.
