CHICAGO, April 20 (UPI) — An 18-year-old Illinois man was being held by federal authorities in Chicago this weekend, suspected of intending to fly to the Middle East to join al-Qaida.
Abdella Ahmad Tounisi of Aurora was arrested Friday at O’Hare International Airport, the Chicago Tribune reported. Tounisi, a U.S. citizen the FBI said had links to a foiled 2012 bombing attempt in Chicago, was being held without bail pending a Tuesday court appearance, the newspaper said.
The FBI said Tounisi was taken into custody as he was about to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, with intentions of making his way to Syria to join the al-Qaida terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusrah.
Court documents indicated Tounisi, who was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, allegedly expressed “a willingness to die for the cause,” the Tribune said.
Court documents allege Tounisi has ties to Adel Daoud, who is awaiting trial for allegedly trying to explode a bomb in a terrorist attack in Chicago.
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