Afghanistan Peace Campaign
AFP, citing a source close to the case, reported that a young Afghan man was arrested in the city of Toulouse, France. The man is the brother of Nasir Ahmad Touhidi, who was arrested in Oklahoma, USA, and is accused of planning an attack on the U.S. presidential election day.
The French anti-terrorism court has not yet provided full details about the identity of the young man arrested in Toulouse.
According to AFP, the 22-year-old Afghan man intended to target a shopping center or a football stadium. French police arrested him after U.S. authorities, during their investigation of Nasir Ahmad Touhidi, shared information with the French police.
French police stated that three individuals were arrested in Toulouse on charges of “terrorism and plotting a suspected attack.” However, after initial investigations, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor released two suspects.
Earlier, on October 7, U.S. authorities reported the arrest of Nasir Ahmad Touhidi, a 27-year-old Afghan refugee, on charges of planning an attack during the U.S. presidential election.
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Touhidi of planning a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS, intending to shoot people and cause mass casualties on election day in November.
NBC News reported on October 10 that Touhidi had previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan as a security guard.
The case involving Nasir Ahmad Touhidi and his brother has raised serious concerns about potential terrorist threats on both sides of the Atlantic. As investigations continue, cooperation between international law enforcement agencies highlights intelligence-sharing’s critical importance in preventing such attacks.