U.S. authorities say they have thwarted an ISIS‑inspired terrorist attack planned for New Year’s Eve in the town of Mint Hill, North Carolina, arresting an 18‑year‑old suspect just hours before the alleged assault was due to take place.
The Department of Justice said Christian Sturdivant has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation. He has not yet entered a plea.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Russ Ferguson, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, said the suspect had pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to attack a grocery store and a fast‑food restaurant in his hometown.
“He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die,” Ferguson told reporters.
According to investigators, the plot had been in preparation for about a year. In December, Sturdivant allegedly made contact online with two undercover officers from the FBI and the New York Police Department, whom he believed to be ISIS affiliates. During those exchanges, he is said to have shared images of knives and hammers and outlined plans for an imminent attack.
An FBI search of the suspect’s home uncovered weapons hidden in his bedroom, along with handwritten notes and a manifesto titled “New Year’s Attack 2026”. The document allegedly detailed plans to stab up to 20 people and to attack police officers responding to the scene.
FBI officials said Sturdivant was arrested on New Year’s Eve, the day the attack was allegedly scheduled. His initial court appearance took place on Friday after the case was unsealed.
Law enforcement sources also revealed that the suspect first came to the attention of authorities in 2022, when, as a juvenile, he was in contact with an unidentified ISIS member overseas and explored carrying out an attack with a hammer. He was not charged at the time and instead received psychological treatment.
U.S. officials praised the coordination between federal and local law enforcement agencies, saying the operation had prevented a potentially deadly attack and saved lives.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, m...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture....
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest&rdqu...
Israeli military bulldozers have begun demolishing buildings in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday, 23 October, following armed clashes with Palestinians that left two Israeli soldiers dead, according to the Israeli military.
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake has struck Tibet in southwestern China, killing 16 people and injuring 65, while forcing more than 12,000 residents to relocate as rescue teams respond to widespread aftershocks.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court has extended hearings in a case seeking to ban five opposition parties, with proceedings now set to continue until 30 October. The court in Batumi will resume hearings on Monday, 26 October, after missing its original 23 October deadline.
Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to step up counterterrorism cooperation as security concerns over Afghanistan grow and tensions between Islamabad and Kabul persist.
The head of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says Armenia has effectively withdrawn from the military alliance, despite not formally ending its membership.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment