Afghan Man Planning ISIS Terror Attack on US Presidential Poll Day, Arrested

An Afghan man planning to make a terror attack on US presidential election day on Nov 5 on behalf of the Islamic State terror group was arrested, the Justice Department of the US revealed on Tuesday.

The arrested Afghan national, identified as Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested on Monday in the western US state of Oklahoma. He has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the ISIS terrorists.

“The Justice Department foiled the defendant’s plot to acquire semi-automatic weapons and commit a violent attack in the name of (IS) on US soil on Election Day,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

The Justice Department said Tawhedi was arrested after he “allegedly took steps to liquidate his family’s assets, resettle members of his family overseas, acquire AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, and commit a terrorist attack in the United States.”

He allegedly planned to carry out the terror attack with support of a juvenile Afghan national, identified in court documents as his brother-in-law.

Tawhedi entered the United States on September 9, 2021 on a special immigrant visa.

On Monday, Tawhedi and the juvenile associate fell into a FBI trap as they met with “FBI assets” at a rural location in Oklahoma and purchased two AK-47 assault rifles, 10 magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. They were immediately arrested.