A man suspected of planning a terrorist attack on a New York City synagogue is expected to appear in federal court Wednesday to face terrorism charges, according to two people familiar with the matter.
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Mohammad Al-Saadi is expected to appear in a federal court in lower Manhattan, according to two sources. He is accused of attempting to hire someone — who turned out to be an undercover member of law enforcement — to carry out the attack.
The alleged plot comes more than two months after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran.
Al-Saadi is allegedly affiliated with a terror group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, also known as HAYI. The group has ties to the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah and is believed to have directed attacks against Jewish institutions throughout Europe, according to the sources. Al-Saadi is said to have been involved in some of those attacks, including at least one in which an American was among the victims.
The New York City Police Department confirmed the planned terrorist attack in a statement to NBC News.
“Working with our law enforcement partners, we disrupted a plan to attack a Manhattan synagogue, and in partnership with the synagogue’s leadership, ensured its security when the threat was elevated,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement.
“This case puts into stark relief the global threats posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies like Kata’ib Hizballah—Foreign Terrorist Organizations that have repeatedly targeted Jewish communities across Europe and the United States since the war began,” she added.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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