A New York man was arrested Monday for attempting to join the Islamic State and planning a Nice-style terrorist attack on Times Square, according to the FBI.
Mohammed Rafik Naji, 37, traveled to Turkey and Yemen in an effort to join the terrorist group before returning to his home in Brooklyn, N.Y., in September 2015, Reuters reported, citing court documents. He was charged with attempting to provide support to ISIS.
In a Facebook message sent to a U.S.-based informant on July 19, five days after the ISIS-claimed attack in Nice that killed 84 people, Naji advocated a similar attack in New York’s Times Square.
"They want an operation in Times Square, reconnaissance group already put out a scene, the Islamic State already put up scenes of Times Square, you understand," Naji said, according to court papers. "I said that was an indication for whoever is smart to know."
Naji, who was born in Yemen, revealed his support for ISIS in a number of Facebook posts that included a photo of the militant group’s black flag, videos of jihadists fighting, and a YouTube video of an ISIS spokesman encouraging attacks on the West, the New York Daily News reported.
Naji’s arrest came shortly after ISIS issued a warning that the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade would make an "excellent" target for a truck-style attack. The NYPD has bolstered security for the event in response to the threat.