WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES – The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested an Afghan man for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on U.S. election day on behalf of the Islamic State (ISIS).
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, October 8, that the suspect, 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, was arrested in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Monday.
The FBI also arrested Tawhedi’s brother-in-law, a teenage Afghan national, in connection with the case. Additional details about him were not provided due to his age.
According to CBS News, Tawhedi, who arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 after the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, had been actively preparing for the attack in recent weeks.
He reportedly liquidated his family’s assets, purchased two Kalashnikov rifles with 500 rounds of ammunition, and secured one-way tickets for his family members’ return to Afghanistan as part of his plan to carry out the violent act.
He had been in contact with an individual allegedly linked to the ISIS terrorist group via Telegram, where they were planning the attack on U.S. election day next month.
The FBI investigation found that the man sought access to surveillance and security cameras in Washington, D.C., and checked webcams showing the White House and Washington Monument in late July.
In an interview following his arrest, the FBI stated that the man confirmed his intention to carry out an attack on election day, targeting “large gatherings of people,” during which he “expected to be martyred.”
“This defendant, motivated by ISIS, allegedly conspired to commit a violent attack on Election Day here in our homeland,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
“Terrorism remains the F.B.I.’s top priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people,” he added.
Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, as well as receiving a firearm intended for use in a terrorist activity, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, if convicted.
The U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was quoted in the CBS report saying, “We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people.”
This incident comes amid rising concerns over extremist violence on U.S. soil. Earlier, the FBI director told the Associated Press that “America is facing multiple elevated threats from various parts of the world simultaneously.”
“Hard-pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are elevated at once,” he said.
In March, General Frank McKenzie, the former commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), warned that ISIS affiliates, particularly ISIS-K based in Afghanistan, have a strong desire to attack the U.S., and such an attack is “inevitable.”
In an interview with ABC News, General McKenzie emphasized that the threat is growing significantly, particularly following the terrorist group’s claims of responsibility for the deadly attack in Moscow in March and a mass bombing in Iran in January.
“We should believe them when they say that they’re going to try to do it,” he said.
Following the withdrawal of US troops and the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, ISIS-K has used the country to become the most capable branch of the ISIS terror organization.
Although the Taliban claims to have dismantled ISIS-K, the terrorist group has continued to carry out deadly attacks, targeting Hazaras and Taliban members in Afghanistan. Additionally, it has carried out deadly attacks in Russia and Iran earlier this year.
