Afghan Arrested in France Linked to Plot Against U.S. Elections

The French news agency AFP, citing a source close to the case, reported that the Afghan man arrested in Toulouse, France, is the brother of the individual accused of plotting an attack on the U.S. presidential election day.

The French anti-terrorism court has yet to release full details about the identity of the young man arrested in Toulouse.

According to AFP, the 22-year-old Afghan had planned to attack a shopping centre or football stadium. French police arrested him after U.S. authorities provided information from their interrogation of Nasir Ahmad Tawhidi, the suspect arrested in the United States, to French officials.

French police confirmed that three individuals were arrested in Toulouse, located in southwestern France, on charges of “terrorism and plotting a suspicious attack.” However, after initial investigations, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office released two of the suspects.

Earlier, U.S. police announced that Nasir Ahmad Tawhidi, a 27-year-old Afghan refugee, had been arrested for planning an attack during the U.S. elections.

The U.S. Department of Justice accused Tohidi of preparing a terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS during the U.S. elections in November, with the intention of shooting and killing multiple people.

According to U.S. police, Tawhidi was active in pro-ISIS Telegram groups and had donated at least $540 in cryptocurrency to a Syria-based charity that served as a front for sending funds to ISIS.

NBC News reported on 10th October that Tawhidi had previously worked as a security guard with the CIA in Afghanistan.