An Afghan national residing in Oklahoma, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, was charged with plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day on behalf of ISIS. Court documents revealed that Tawhedi, 27, was arrested for conspiring to provide support to the terrorist group by acquiring firearms and ammunition to carry out a violent attack in the U.S. on November 5th.
Tawhedi, along with a juvenile co-conspirator, met with undercover FBI agents to purchase rifles, magazines, and ammunition for the planned attack. Authorities discovered that Tawhedi intended to target large gatherings and expected to die as a martyr in the process. He made efforts to liquidate his family’s assets, resettling them in Afghanistan, and obtaining AK-47 assault rifles, while also saving ISIS propaganda and researching methods to access Washington D.C. security cameras and gun laws.
The arrest comes amid concerns of potential political violence surrounding the upcoming election. President Joe Biden expressed confidence in a free and fair election but remained uncertain about its peace. Both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have condemned political violence in light of recent assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump.
The U.S. continues to combat the threat of ISIS, with recent operations resulting in the killing of ISIS militants in Iraq. In June, eight individuals with potential ISIS links were arrested in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Defense officials reported an increase in ISIS attacks in Iraq and Syria, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by the terrorist group both domestically and abroad.
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