ISIS Tried to Plan France-Style Truck Attack in Times Square, Accused Accomplice Says

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, NY — Members of the Islamic State were trying to plan a bloody garbage-truck attack in Times Square over the summer similar to the one in July that killed 86 people and injured hundreds in Nice, France, according to a wiretapped conversation newly revealed in Brooklyn federal court. On one end of the conversation, federal investigators say, was Mohamed Rafik Naji, 37 — a Yemeni national and Brooklyn resident arrested Monday and charged with trying to help ISIS carry out this and other attacks.

Just five days after the attack in Nice, Naji said the following in a phone conversation with a federal source whom he apparently thought was down for his cause, according to the criminal complaint against him:

Naji: "I was saying if there is a truck, I mean a garbage truck and one drives it there to TimesSquare and crushes them shshshshshsh...Times-Square day."

Source: "Times-Square."

Naji: "They want an operation in Times-Square."

Source: "Mm?"

Naji: "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. I said that was an indication for whoever is smart to know."

Naji was arrested and charged Monday with "knowingly and intentionally" attempting to "provide material support and resources... including personnel, including himself, to a foreign terrorist organization" between March 2015 and September 2015, according to a criminal complaint provided to Patch by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn.

During those six months, Naji traveled to Turkey and Yemen, where he tried to fight for ISIS, the complaint says, citing extensive email and social media correspondence between Naji and his friends.

When he returned from the Middle East, the complaint says, Naji has "continued to profess his support" for ISIS.

He allegedly posted the following to Facebook:

• An image with the words "The Battle of Dabiq" and showing an icon with a world map "vs." an icon showing the ISIS flag.

• A profile picture depicting two men walking down a dirt road. They are carrying long-barreled guns and are walking toward an image of the ISIS flag superimposed across the sky.

• A cover photo depicting two circles: one containing a collage of the flags of various countries and the other containing an image of the black ISIS flag. Two arrows are below the circles, with one pointing in the direction of the ISIS image and the other pointing in the direction of world flags.

• A YouTube link to a Sept. 12, 2014, audio message from the official ISIS spokesman at the time, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, in which al-Adnani calls for attacks on Western civilian and military targets.

• A post stating "Allah Akbar" and sharing an Al Jazeera video showing ISIS fighters engaged in combat.

This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.

Lead photo by MsSaraKelly/Flickr