Criminal complaint reveals new details in alleged ISIS-inspired plot to attack Jewish people in NYC

NEW YORK -- A Pakistani national residing in Canada sought to carry out a "coordinated assault" targeting Jews in New York City on behalf of ISIS, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday.

Muhammad Shahzeb Kahn, 20, expressed support for the Islamic State and on social media and in conversations with undercover law enforcement officers, the complaint said.

Last July, he messaged one of the undercovers that he had been "actively trying to create a 'real offline cell' to carry out a 'coordinated assault' in a particular US city using AR-style rifles," the complaint said.

Khan allegedly instructed the undercovers to obtain AR-style rifles, ammunition and other materials and decided the target would be a "Jewish religious center located in Brooklyn."

According to the complaint, Khan wanted to time the attack to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

"New York is perfect to target Jews," the complaint quoted Khan as saying. "It has the largest Jewish population in America."

Khan allegedly continued, "Even if we don't attack an Event we could rack up easily a lot of Jews." An August 2024 message concluded "we are going to NYC to slaughter them."

Khan was arrested in Canada, where the FBI said he tried to hire someone to try and smuggle him into the US. He was stopped in September 2024 in Ormstown, 12 miles from the border.

He is now being extradited to the United States and is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court Wednesday on a charge of attempted provision of material support to terrorism.

The FBI said Khan made clear his planned attack was meant to support ISIS, allegedly saying "If we're successful this is going to be one of the largest attacks ever on Jews outside of the Israeli territory in recent times" and adding "that too in America would be big and good propaganda victory for the Islamic State."

(ABC News contributed to this report.)