An Afghan man was arrested in Oklahoma for allegedly plotting an election day "terrorist attack," the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
The man, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, living in Oklahoma City after entering the US in 2021 on a special immigrant visa, was plotting the attack in the name of Islamic State, according to the indictment.
Tawhedi and an underage co-conspirator were arrested on Monday after they met with FBI assets to buy two AK-47 rifles and ammunition. In his post-arrest interview, Tawhedi said the attack planned to target large gatherings of people, during which he and his co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs.
"We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people," US Attorney-General Merrick Garland said in a statement.