WASHINGTON, Nov 20, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - An Afghan man was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for plotting to carry out an attack on US election day on behalf of the Islamic State (IS) group.

Abdullah Haji Zada, 19, pleaded guilty in April to attempting to buy firearms and ammunition in order to carry out a federal crime of terrorism.

Zada and a co-conspirator, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 28, were arrested in the central US state of Oklahoma in October 2024, several weeks before the November 5 presidential election.

Tawhedi also entered a guilty plea. A date has not been set yet for his sentencing.

Zada and Tawhedi sought to buy two AK-47 rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition to carry out a "mass-casualty attack" on election day, according to court documents.

The seller turned out to be an undercover FBI employee.

"By hatching a violent plot against the United States on behalf of IS, (Zada) and his co-conspirator shamefully turned their backs on the country that provided them safety and refuge," FBI special agent Doug Goodwater said in a statement.

The Justice Department said Zada and Tawhedi have agreed to be sent to Afghanistan after serving their prison terms in the United States.