ISIS-Inspired Plot Foiled: Pakistani National Admits Plan To Target Brooklyn Jewish Centre | Exclusive

Last Updated:April 09, 2026, 13:49 IST

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, the accused, admitted to planning an assault on a Chabad House in Brooklyn using AR-style rifles, timed around the anniversary of the October 7 attacks

A 21-year-old Pakistani national based in Canada has pleaded guilty in a US federal court to plotting an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on a Jewish centre in Brooklyn, in a case that has raised fresh concerns about cross-border radicalisation networks.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, the accused, admitted to planning an assault on a Chabad House in Brooklyn using AR-style rifles, timed around the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. According to the FBI, Khan was inspired by ISIS propaganda and had communicated with individuals he believed were co-conspirators, who were in fact undercover law enforcement officers.

Investigators said Khan was arrested in September 2024 near the US-Canada border while attempting to illegally enter the United States with the help of a human smuggler. The case was the result of a coordinated effort involving the FBI, the New York Police Department, and Canadian authorities.

Officials confirmed that Khan now faces the possibility of life imprisonment after pleading guilty to terrorism-related charges.

Authorities say the plot bore hallmarks of so-called “lone wolf" attacks inspired by extremist ideologies rather than directed by a formal terror organisation. The use of symbolic timing, the October 7 anniversary, was seen as an attempt to maximise psychological and political impact.

Top Indian intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the case reflects a wider and growing concern over individuals of Pakistani origin with ISIS sympathies, particularly within diaspora communities in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

According to these sources, such networks are increasingly acting as vectors for radicalisation beyond South Asia, posing cross-border threats that could potentially target Indian interests abroad.

Officials pointed to similarities with past threats involving Indian diplomatic missions, Hindu temples, and even locations linked to Jewish-Indian community intersections in Western countries.

Indian agencies view the case as further validation for enhanced scrutiny of Pakistani passport holders and deeper intelligence-sharing mechanisms with Western partners.

The incident underscores the evolving nature of global terror threats where online radicalisation, diaspora linkages, and symbolic targeting converge, posing new challenges for security agencies across continents.

News world ISIS-Inspired Plot Foiled: Pakistani National Admits Plan To Target Brooklyn Jewish Centre | Exclusive

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