Iraq's prime minister said Thursday that his country's intelligence operation has uncovered a plot from Islamic State militants to attack subway systems in the U.S., including New York City, the Associated Press has learned.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Baghdad informed him that foreign militants of the Islamic State operating in Iraq were plotting to attack subways in the U.S. as well as Paris. The prime minister made the statements while speaking to reporters on the sidelines at a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.
Al-Abadi said the attack was imminent and has not yet been thwarted. He said the U.S. has been notified about the threat, the AP reported.
The news comes three days after a series of air strikes led by the U.S. were carried out against IS targets in Syria, adding to air strikes against militant targets in Iraq. World leaders have expressed concern over the group, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, spreading their terroristic campaign overseas.
A law-enforcement source told the New York Post that the NYPD was not aware of any intended attack.
A senior U.S. government official told CNBC the government has found no evidence to support the claim. The FBI and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority also said there was no evidence of a specific attack.
