The US Central Command reported that an airstrike in cooperation with Iraq killed ISIS leader Abdellah Maki Muslih al-Rifai. Meanwhile, an Afghan man named Abdullah Haji Zada accepted a plea deal, admitting to acquiring firearms for an ISIS-backed Election Day terrorist attack. Zada pleaded guilty to receiving two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, working with Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi on the plot. The two were arrested in Moore, Oklahoma in October 2024, with prosecutors describing Zada as a “juvenile co-conspirator.” The Justice Department foiled the plot as the men attempted to buy rifles from an undercover FBI employee. The men were targeting large gatherings of people and planned to be martyrs.
Leading up to the attack, Zada and Tawhedi liquidated their family’s assets, sent funds to ISIS, and resettled their family in Afghanistan. Tawhedi’s Google searches revealed his interest in obtaining firearms in the US without restrictions. Zada could face up to 15 years in jail and deportation to Afghanistan upon completing his prison term. Tawhedi is awaiting trial for providing support to a terrorist organization and conspiring to receive a firearm, facing a maximum of 35 years in prison if convicted. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized that terrorism remains a top priority and the FBI will use all resources to protect the American people.
