The six Canadian terror plots police have foiled since October 7

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By: Ehsanullah Amiri

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Since the October 7 terror attacks in Israel, Canadian police have thwarted six alleged terror plots across the country, with arrests spanning from Edmonton to Ottawa to Toronto. Some of these plots reportedly targeted the Jewish community, reflecting rising concerns over the safety of Jewish Canadians.

Since the outbreak of war in Gaza, following the Hamas massacre of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the taking of hostages, massive anti-Israel protests have erupted worldwide, including in Canada. Some of these protests have featured pro-Hamas slogans, one of the terrorist organizations responsible for the October 7 attack. This has heightened fears within Jewish communities, as some protests have directly targeted Jewish institutions, such as synagogues.

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Canada, long known for its liberal values and commitment to multiculturalism, is now grappling with the complex challenges posed by these threats. The increasing incidents of violence and foiled terror plots have raised alarm about the country potentially becoming a focal point for extremist activities. Global terrorism networks, such as ISIS, have previously attempted to recruit and organize plotters in Canadian cities like Toronto, putting the nation at risk of becoming a safe haven for terrorism.

“There is a crisis of extremist Islamism in Canada,” said

Richard Marceau

, author and editor of the Canadian Haggadah in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “If we don’t take this seriously, Canadians will die.”

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Here’s a list of the known alleged terror plots thwarted by police since October 7.

September 2024

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 20-year-old Pakistani citizen, was arrested last week in Quebec for allegedly planning to target Jewish civilians in New York City.

Khan, residing in Canada on a student visa, attempted to cross the border to the United States with the intention to “kill as many Jewish civilians as possible” and target a Jewish centre in Brooklyn with guns and knives in support of the Islamic State (ISIL), according to the RCMP and U.S. authorities.

The FBI stated that Khan used an encrypted messaging app to communicate with undercover agents posing as his accomplices, asking them to purchase weapons to carry out the attack.

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Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters Tuesday that Khan received his student visa in May 2023 and entered through Toronto Pearson Airport on June 24, 2023.

Khan was arrested last Wednesday in the small Quebec town of Ormstown after changing vehicles three times while travelling from Toronto to New York City.

He faces three charges in Canada and one charge in the United States of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He also faces extradition to the U.S.

“Our government must act immediately to prevent the entry into Canada of those who harbor radical views and to prevent the further radicalization of its citizens,” said a statement from B’nai Brith Canada, the largest Jewish advocacy organization in the country. “Canada is becoming a breeding ground for terrorists. There can be no more excuses. The safety and security of our nation must remain paramount.”

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August 2024

On Aug. 22, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the arrest and of a youth in the Greater Toronto Area “who was allegedly participating in the activities of a listed terrorist group.”

The charges include participating in the activities of a terrorist group to enhance its ability to carry out terrorist activities and counselling another person to commit a terrorism offence, according to the RCMP. The alleged offences occurred when the accused was a minor, and the person cannot be named due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The RCMP released no further information on alleged motive or targets.

July 2024

In late July, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and his 26-year-old son, Mostafa Eldidi, were apprehended in a hotel in Richmond Hill when both were allegedly in “advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto.” Both possessed a machete and an axe at the time of their arrest, the RCMP said.

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The target of the father and son in Toronto remains unclear.

The senior Eldidi came to Canada in 2018 and became a Canadian citizen two months before his arrest. His son is not a Canadian citizen; he entered Canada in 2020 and obtained refugee status in 2022.

Canada Border Services Agency officials told a House of Commons committee meeting that they were unaware that Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi had been featured in an ISIL video in 2015 when his immigration application was approved.

Both father and son, born in Egypt, face nine charges of terrorism activities, including committing murder on behalf of the Islamic State.

July 2024

On July 22, a man with a knife who attempted to attack Israeli soldiers in the West Bank was identified as a Canadian from Alberta.

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He was reportedly shot after screaming “Free Palestine!” and rushing toward Israeli security guards at Netiv Ha’asara, an Israeli village, with a knife.

Video of the attack released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shows armed guards patrolling the community’s fortified front gate as he charges them before the guards shoot him dead.

The man was Zachareah Adam Quraishi, a 21-year-old. His father released a public message acknowledging his son’s passing.

“My 21-year-old son Zachareah was killed. I’m not able to talk now… I’m processing… Prayers pls. He was an empathetic boy. I’m confused,” Adam Quraishi, a teacher from Cold Lake, Alta., wrote on Facebook.

January 2024

In late January, a heavily armed man stormed Edmonton City Hall in an attack that the RCMP later said was politically motivated.

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The man was identified by police as Bezhani Sarvar, 28.

Sarvar entered the municipal building bearing at least one long gun and several Molotov cocktails. The Edmonton Police Service stated that he appeared to be firing “randomly,” hitting the ceiling, walls, and windows, and had set a small fire near an elevator, apparently with explosives. Some glass in City Hall was destroyed by gunshots.

Sarvar faces six charges, including possession of incendiary material, unauthorized firearm, arson, throwing explosives with intent to cause harm, and careless use of a weapon.

Before the attack, he posted a lengthy video manifesto online, addressing a wide range of issues about Canada and the war in Gaza.

In the video, Sarvar said people need to “rise up” against inflation and housing — both political crises in Canada involving politicians at all levels of government.

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The video also calls for people to “rise up” to stop “this genocide that’s going on in Gaza and throughout the world.”

“Anybody that is destabilizing other countries, hurting their community, should feel ashamed of themselves, and inshallah we will rise against you guys and we’ll put you on trial,” Sarvar says.

December 2023

On Dec. 15, a 15-year-old Ottawa boy was arrested for alleged terrorism activities, which police said were to target Jewish people.

Days later in court, the minor faced five terrorism- and explosive-related charges for allegedly possessing bomb-making materials, such as chemicals and metal ball bearings.

A copy of the detailed charges obtained by National Post revealed his communication with others in Canada and the U.S. about how to make bombs.

According to the charges, police allegedly discovered “explosive substances” such as acetone, an unidentified oxidizer, and metal ball bearings in the young man’s possession on the day he was arrested.

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