FO claims Luqmaan Khan, 25, is an Afghan who briefly lived in Pakistan as a refugee
The Department of Foreign Affairs (FO) on Thursday dismissed foreign media reports identifying a man arrested in Delaware over alleged attack plans as Pakistani, saying the suspect is an Afghan national who had spent only a few years as a refugee in Pakistan.
“He is not of Pakistani nationality or of Pakistani origin,” FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in a statement. “He is Afghan, he spent a few years as a refugee in Pakistan, then he moved to the United States, where he spent most of his life. »
His clarification came after several media reports – including those from USA Today, the New York Post and the Hindustan Times – described him as a US citizen born in Pakistan, a claim that FO says is inaccurate.
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According to a report from The Associated Press earlier in the day, which also does not identify Khan as a man of Pakistani descent, the suspect was a University of Delaware student.
A Dec. 1 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice detailing the charges against Khan identified him as a resident of the city of Wilmington, Delaware, and made no mention of his nationality.
Khan was arrested when New Castle County police officers found his white van parked in Canby Park West after hours. Police said Khan refused orders to exit the vehicle and resisted arrest before being taken into custody.
A search of the truck uncovered a Glock pistol chambered in .357 SIG with 27 rounds of ammunition, three additional loaded magazines, a ballistic plate and a handwritten notebook containing detailed notes on possible attacks. The notebook included a sketch titled “UD Police Station,” showing entry and exit points, as well as the name of a University of Delaware police officer. Investigators said the notes described “premeditated plans of assault,” including methods to evade law enforcement.
Learn more: Afghan suspect likely radicalized in the United States
Local US media also reported that the notebook contained repeated references to “martyrdom” and phrases such as “kill everything”, although these details did not appear in the Justice Department’s complaint.
According to the Department of Justice press release, Khan was charged with illegal possession of a machine gun on November 26.
“If convicted of this charge, Khan faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. If Khan is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors,” the statement said.
