Pakistani charged in New York City October 7 anniversary plot linked to ISIS

US Justice Department says alleged plotter aimed to kill 'as many Jewish people as possible'

The US Department of Justice building in Washington. Reuters

A Pakistani citizen living in Canada was arrested and charged with planning an attack in New York City in support of ISIS, the US Department of Justice said on Friday.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, is accused of plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn around October 7, nearly one year after the Hamas-led attack that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Mr Khan, who is also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, aimed to kill “as many Jewish people as possible”.

Mr Khan attempted to travel from Canada to the US where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out the attack, according to the indictment.

He was arrested on Wednesday in Canada, 19 kilometres from the US border.

Mr Khan told two undercover law enforcement officers of his plans to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out an attack, the indictment alleged.

He instructed them to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified specific locations where the attacks would take place.

New York City was the target because it has “the largest Jewish population in America”, prosecutors said.

“We are deeply grateful to our Canadian partners for their critical law enforcement actions in this matter. Jewish communities – like all communities in this country – should not have to fear that they will be targeted by a hate-fuelled terrorist attack,” Mr Garland said in a statement.

If convicted, Mr Khan faces up to 20 years in prison.