Pakistani man arrested in Canada for plotting ‘largest’ attack in US since 9/11 on Hamas attack anniversary

A Pakistani national living in Canada has been arrested for allegedly planning the ‘largest’ terror attack in the United States since 9/11 in support of the Islamic State (ISIS) on the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, aka Shahzeb Jadoon, was arrested in Ormstown, Quebec, on Wednesday, September 4, when he was trying to sneak into the United States.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the charges on September 6, stating that Khan, 20, was planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, intending to “slaughter as many Jewish people as possible.”

“The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7 of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of (the Islamic State), as many Jewish people as possible,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

The DoJ further stated that, "Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS in or about November 2023, when, among other things, Khan distributed ISIS propaganda videos and literature.”

The Terror Plot

The US Attorney General Garland saidKhan allegedly tried to travel from Canada to the US to execute the attack using automatic and semi-automatic weapons. He also communicated with undercover law enforcement officers, discussing plans to form an offline cell of ISIS supporters and instructing them to acquire firearms and ammunition for the attack.

“Thanks to the investigative work of the FBI, and the quick action of our Canadian law enforcement partners, the defendant was taken into custody,” Garland added

According to the criminal complaint, Khan planned to travel to New York and carry out a mass shooting in support of IS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn on the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

He claimed that New York was “perfect to target Jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population in America,” according to US officials. Even if the attack did not target a specific event, he wrote that “we could rack up easily a lot of Jews,” adding, “We are going to NYC to slaughter them.”

Largest terror attack since 9/11

According to investigative agencies, Khan sent photos and videos of the targeted building to the undercover agents and instructed them to acquire rifles, ammunition, and “some good hunting knives so we can slit their throats.”

Khan further wrote that “if we succeed with our plan, this would be the largest attack on US soil since 9/11,” referring to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

FBI Director Christopher Wray commended the coordinated efforts that led to Khan's arrest.

In the statement, Wray said Khan was allegedly determined to kill Jewish people in the United States, “nearly one year after Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel.”

He further stated, "This investigation was led by the FBI and I am proud of the terrific work by the FBI team and our partners to disrupt Khan’s plan".

Khan's arrest comes amid rising concerns over anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks in North America, particularly around the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.