U.S. Arrests Kataib Hezbollah Commander Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi Over Terror Plots

U.S. authorities announced the arrest of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, described by FBI Director Kash Patel as “a high-value target responsible for mass terrorist activities on a global scale,” tied to Kataib Hezbollah.

“US charges Iraqi national with terrorism over alleged Kataib Hezbollah attacks across Europe, NYC plots NEW YORK — U”

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Prosecutors said al-Saadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi national, was formally charged with six terrorism-related offenses after appearing before a federal judge in New York on Friday and being ordered held in pretrial detention.

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The Justice Department alleged that al-Saadi and associates “planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility for at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe and two attacks in Canada” in response to the joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran launched on Feb. 28.

Court papers also cited an alleged stabbing attack targeting two Jewish men in London in late April, and prosecutors accused him of providing an undercover agent with photographs and maps identifying a major synagogue in New York, plus Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Kurdistan24 reported that the Justice Department said Saadi had been transferred to the United States without specifying where or when he was arrested, and that his precise operational role remained unclear.

Hours after federal authorities charged an alleged Kataib Hezbollah operative of plotting attacks on Jewish community centers and a Manhattan synagogue, Fox News described a protest in Manhattan where several masked demonstrators carried Hamas flags and a Hezbollah flag waved above the crowd.

At Washington Square Park, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the alleged terror plot by Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, saying, “Let me be clear: antisemitism, violent extremism, and terrorism have no place in our city. This kind of hate is despicable,” as chants of “globalize the intifada” rang out.

BBC

Fox News reported that the demonstration drew about 500 demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags and that protesters descended on Washington Square Park with pre-printed signs and banners to protest the existence of the state of Israel and demand its dismantling and replacement with a state called Palestine.

In the same reporting, Fox News said that by about 5:06 p.m. Within Our Lifetime co-founder Nerdeen Kiswani led chants of “Globalize the intifada! From New York to Gaza! Globalize the intifada!” and told the crowd, “Yes, that also means necessarily that the state of Israel and Zionism must be abolished.”

The Fox News account also described masked participants openly waving Hamas flags above the crowd as the procession moved uptown through Manhattan.

The charges against al-Saadi were framed by prosecutors as part of a broader campaign tied to Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with the U.S. Justice Department alleging he directed and urged others to attack U.S. and Israeli interests.

“Several masked demonstrators carried Hamas flags at an anti-Israel protest in Manhattan on Friday, while a Hezbollah flag waved above the crowd, hours after federal authorities charged an alleged Kataib Hezbollah operative of plotting attacks on Jewish community centers and a Manhattan synagogue”

Fox News

BBC reported that al-Saadi was taken into custody in Turkey before being turned over to the FBI and transported to the U.S., and that he appeared in Manhattan federal court and was detained pending trial.

In a statement carried by BBC, U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the arrest was an example of American law enforcement serving to “disrupt and dismantle foreign terrorist organizations and their leaders.”

JNS.org reported that New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the NYPD worked with law enforcement partners to disrupt the plot, and that Mamdani said he was “relieved that everyone is safe” after the unsealing of the terrorism-related charges.

JNS.org also reported that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is “grateful to law enforcement for disrupting this horrifying plot targeting Jewish New Yorkers,” while al-Saadi was ordered detained pending trial after appearing before a federal magistrate judge in Manhattan.