A federal court in New York has sentenced Somali national Cholo Abdi Abdullah to life in prison for conspiring to provide material support to al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and plotting a 9/11-style aircraft attack on the United States.

The conviction was announced by the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY).

Abdullah faced charges including conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and engage in transnational terrorism.

“This case serves as reminder to individuals still wishing to inflict violence upon our country in the name of terrorism. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force remains steadfast in its relentless determination to protect the American people from terrorists and their heinous desires.” - FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia.

Abdullah, who received flight training in the Philippines, intended to hijack a plane and crash it into a U.S. building.

He was arrested in the Philippines in 2019, extradited to the United States in 2020, and has remained in custody since.

The case underscores the ongoing threat posed by al-Shabaab and affiliated networks, nearly 25 years after the September 11 attacks.