Extradited Pakistani’s Encrypted Note Detailed ISIS‑Style Plot for “Largest Attack on US”
A Pakistani national recently extradited to the US for planning terror attacks has left behind an encrypted note confessing ambitions to execute the “largest attack on US” in scope and scale. US authorities unearthed the encrypted message, filled with extremist rhetoric and operational details, after arresting the individual on charges linked to ISIS-inspired violent extremism.
According to officials, the 31‑year‑old suspect, living in Pakistan’s Punjab province, had begun networking with extremist online circles, exploring crowd‑targeting tactics and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) aiming to maximize mass casualties. Investigators report he had mapped out multiple “high‑density public event” sites across New York City, intending to inflict unimaginable damage.
His encrypted note purportedly includes statements like: “this would be largest attack on us,” revealing both ideological intent and tactical intent. While no explosives were found in his possession, authorities emphasize that the detailed description indicated an elevation in intent driven by exposure to ISIS propaganda.
In the digital forensics operation, counter-terror analysts successfully decrypted his communications, obtaining enough data to file terrorism charges under US federal law. The planned targets included several iconic sites—some still undisclosed by the FBI—along with mentions of secondary operations aimed at disrupting infrastructure.
Authorities underscore the arrest as a stark testament to the reach of ISIS recruitment online and the ongoing threat posed by lone or small-cell actors radicalized on digital platforms. “This close brush with a terrorist plot of unprecedented ambition highlights the necessity for persistent intelligence cooperation,” said an official.
US prosecutors have charged the suspect with providing material support to a designated terrorist organization and planning to use weapons of mass destruction. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment.
Next steps for federal agents and civil surveillance authorities include:
- Scrutiny of encrypted messaging apps and forums to map extremist networks.
- Enhanced domestic cooperation with international intelligence partners to preempt similar plots.
- Preventive interventions to disrupt radicalization pipelines before hardware procurement or action phase.
Despite no direct casualties, this case serves as a grim reminder of evolving terrorist methodologies—distinctly ISIS‑inspired, digitally radicalized, and aimed at large-scale urban carnage.
