A Toronto father and son, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and Mostafa Eldidi, 26, have been arrested at a hotel in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and are now facing several terror-related charges. Authorities allege the pair were in the “advanced stages” of planning a violent attack in the name of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS).
Sources revealed to Global News that the suspects had recorded a video holding weapons in front of an ISIS flag. The video, which showed the duo with an axe and machete, is a key piece of evidence leading to their arrests. Police seized the weapons during the operation on Sunday night.
RCMP tactical officers took the Eldidis into custody as they were allegedly close to conducting a mass casualty attack. They have been charged with six ISIS-related terrorism offences, including possessing weapons for the benefit of ISIS and an aggravated assault charge linked to a 2015 incident outside of Canada.
Further details indicate that Ahmed Eldidi allegedly appeared in a 2015 ISIS propaganda video, dismembering a prisoner with a sword. This video, titled “Deterring Spies,” was published by the ISIS branch in western Iraq.
At a news conference, police assured the public there was no further threat to safety, and investigations are ongoing under a publication ban.
The Eldidis are among over three dozen suspected ISIS supporters charged in Canada since the terrorist group’s formation in 2014. Canadian authorities have pursued charges ranging from passport fraud to terrorism and murder, resulting in 20 convictions to date.
Internationally, Canadians like Khaled Hussein and Abdullahi Ahmed Abdullahi have also faced severe penalties for their roles in ISIS-linked activities. Canadian officials continue to use various measures, including denying passports and requesting terrorism peace bonds, to manage ISIS-related threats.
One of the most notorious ISIS-related incidents in Canada was the 2021 shooting at a Mississauga restaurant, Chicken Land, allegedly orchestrated by Niqash Abbasi to prevent an employee from informing authorities about his ISIS fundraising activities.
