Canadian and American authorities have arrested a man accused of planning to enter the U.S. to carry out a terrorist attack against Jewish communities in New York City on behalf of the Islamic State group. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was detained on Wednesday in Ormstown, Quebec, about 12 miles (19 km) from the U.S. border.
U.S. officials have charged him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Khan, a Pakistani national living near Toronto, allegedly intended to execute a rifle attack timed for the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel or during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
The investigation, led by the FBI in cooperation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), confirmed that Khan did not pose an immediate threat before his arrest. He is set to appear in court in Montreal on September 13. Khan had been planning the attack with two individuals who he did not know were undercover agents.
According to prosecutors, he encouraged these agents to obtain AR-style rifles, ammunition, and hunting knives for the attack. He also allegedly paid a human trafficker to smuggle him across the U.S. border. In messages to the undercover agents, Khan expressed that “New York is perfect to target Jews” due to its large Jewish population, and he claimed that if the attack succeeded, it would be “the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11,” referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks by al-Qaeda.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “The defendant was allegedly determined to kill Jewish people here in the United States, nearly one year after Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel.” The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking Khan’s extradition from Canada. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme condemned the planned attack, stating, “This planned antisemitic attack against Jewish people in the U.S. is deplorable, and there is no place for such ideological and hate-motivated crime in Canada.”
