Washington, Sep 17 (IANS/EFE) US officials have accused a Yemeni man with American citizenship of recruiting militants to fight in the ranks of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Syria and Iraq and attack military and Shia Muslim targets in the US.
Mufid A. Elfgeeh, 30, of Rochester, New York, was arrested in May for buying two handguns with silencers to fire at members of the US military returning home from the Middle East.
He was also planning to shoot at Shia Muslims living in northwestern New York state, the US Justice Department said in a statement.
Elfgeeh was under investigation for months by FBI undercover informants and was arrested when he tried to buy the weapons.
According to authorities, Elfgeeh attempted to convince two of the informants and a third person in Yemen to travel to Syria to join the IS.
Elfgeeh attracted FBI interest a year ago when he began to publish messages in support of the jihadis on Twitter, including a call for people to donate one-third of their salaries to the movement.
US Attorney General Eric Holder said Elfgeeh never managed to follow through with his plans and at no time represented a serious public threat.
The recruitment of Western citizens to fight alongside the IS is one of the major concerns of the US and European governments as these people could return to home countries and carry out attacks.
--IANS/EFE
ab/dg
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories
Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app