In a significant law enforcement operation, several individuals supposedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend were apprehended in Michigan. This development was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on social media.

The arrests took place in the suburbs of Detroit, where authorities concentrated their efforts to prevent the suspected threat.

Director Patel mentioned that further details would be forthcoming, shedding more light on the situation.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information, the plot appears to have been motivated by Islamic State extremism. There are indications that the suspects might have been radicalized online, prompting investigators to explore this angle further.

The operation saw a visible presence of FBI and state police vehicles in a neighborhood close to Fordson High School in Dearborn, highlighting the seriousness of the threat and the swift response by authorities.

People wearing shirts marked FBI walked in and out of a house, including one person who collected paper bags and other items from an evidence truck.

Police in Inkster, another suburb, said FBI personnel were at a storage facility there.

“There is no current threat to public safety,” said Jordan Hall, an FBI spokesperson in Detroit, who declined further comment.

The investigation involved discussion in an online chatroom involving at least some of the suspects who were taken into custody, people familiar with the investigation told AP.

The group had discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween, referring to “pumpkin day,” according to one of the people.

The other person briefed on the investigation confirmed that there had been a “pumpkin” reference.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the group had the means to carry out an attack, but the reference to Halloween prompted the FBI to make arrests on Friday, one of the people said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on X that she was briefed by Patel.

She said she was grateful for “swift action” but offered no details.

Residents in the Dearborn neighbourhood watched as investigators worked at the house.

“It’s really scary because we have a lot of relatives around this neighborhood,” said Fatima Saleh, who was next door.

Separately, in May, the FBI said it arrested a man who had spent months planning an attack against a US Army site in suburban Detroit on behalf of the Islamic State group.

The man, Ammar Said, didn’t know that his supposed allies in the alleged plot were undercover FBI employees.

Said remains in custody, charged with attempting to provide support to a terrorist organisation.

The criminal complaint was replaced in September with a criminal “information” document, signaling that a plea agreement could be possible in the months ahead.