Major terror plot foiled in US; Authorities thwart Islamic State-Style Halloween attack

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest of two extremists, Moamed Ali and Majid Mahmood, on Friday, but did not share any details at the time.

New Delhi: The FBI in the US has claimed to have foiled a major terrorist attack. Federal authorities arrested two men in the Detroit area last week. A cache of weapons was also recovered from a storage unit and several other locations. FBI agents had been monitoring these men for several weeks.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest of two extremists, Moamed Ali and Majid Mahmood, on Friday, but did not share any details at the time.

The accused had spied on LGBTQ+ bars
FBI agents searched a home in Dearborn and a storage unit in nearby Inkster. US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on the social media site X, "Our American heroes prevented a terrorist attack." According to officials, these men had spied on LGBTQ+ bars in Ferndale, a suburb of Detroit.

A 72-page criminal complaint filed in federal court states that the accused, Moamed Ali and Majid Mahmood, and other co-conspirators were inspired by Islamic State extremism. A minor is also said to have participated in these discussions. According to the FBI, the men repeatedly mentioned the word "pumpkin" in their conversations, a reference to the Halloween attack.

Both accused possessed AR-15-style rifles, for which they had purchased over 1,600 rounds of ammunition. They also practiced with these guns at the range. The FBI also used a camera mounted on a pole outside a home in Dearborn. Investigators gained access to encrypted chats and other conversations.