Canadian police announced Friday the arrest of three Toronto men accused of attempted kidnappings targeting women and members of the Jewish community, along with serious terrorism-related offenses.

The suspects were identified as Waleed Khan, 26, Osman Azizov, 18, and Fahad Sadaat, 19, all residents of Toronto. The arrests stem from two violent incidents that occurred earlier this year in the Greater Toronto Area.

In May, in Toronto, three men — one armed with a handgun and another carrying a knife — allegedly approached a woman and attempted to force her into a vehicle. The suspects fled the scene after a passing driver intervened, police said.

In June, in the nearby city of Mississauga, three men armed with a handgun, a rifle, and a knife exited a vehicle and chased two women. Once again, the suspects fled after a motorist intervened, according to police.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the suspects were “targeting women and members of the Jewish community,” though additional details could not be released due to a court-imposed publication ban.

Searches of the suspects’ residences uncovered firearms, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and other evidence indicating a hate-based motive. Police also revealed that investigators uncovered links to terrorism.

“Investigators also uncovered links to terrorism,” a police statement said.

The three suspects face a total of 79 criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit kidnapping and hostage-taking, weapons offenses, sexual assault, motor vehicle theft, and forgery.

Khan faces additional terrorism-related charges, according to Canada’s federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police, citing alleged links to ISIS. These charges include conspiracy to commit murder for a terrorist organization.

The arrests come amid heightened fear within Jewish communities worldwide following last week’s antisemitic terror massacre in Sydney, Australia, where ISIS flags were reportedly found in the attackers’ vehicle.

“As we saw in Sydney, we are one intelligence failure away from a devastating loss of life. A lack of urgency on the part of our leaders puts Canadians in danger,” said Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

“We urge authorities to take decisive measures to hold extremists accountable for radicalizing Canadians and setting the stage for mass violence right here in our country,” Shack added.

Canada has seen multiple ISIS-related terror plots in recent years. Last year, a father and son who entered Canada as asylum seekers were arrested for plotting a mass terror attack on behalf of ISIS in Toronto. In a separate case, a Pakistani national who entered Canada on a visa was arrested in neighboring Quebec for planning an ISIS-inspired attack targeting Jews in New York City.

Antisemitism in Canada has surged sharply in recent years, even prior to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel. Since then, hate crimes targeting the Jewish community have risen dramatically, prompting growing concern among Jewish leaders and security officials.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)