Homemade bombs, global terror links uncovered in Philly teen's arrest

A Philadelphia teenager who is accused of plotting to travel abroad to make bombs for terrorist organizations will be tried as an adult, according to prosecutors.

Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman is 18 years old and is accused of having weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit arson, and causing or at risk of causing a catastrophe. When he was arrested in August 2023, age 17, Abdul-Rahman was kept on $5 million bail.

The Office of the District Attorney alleges Abdul-Rahman was involved in 12 tests with homemade bombs close to the home of his family and was in the process of creating devices that had a blast radius of a few hundred yards.

Prosecutors allege that Abdul-Rahman's internet searches showed interest in potential targets, including those involved in the Philadelphia Pride parade, power plants, as well as military bases.

Law enforcement authorities began to investigate Abdul-Rahman after they uncovered messages on the internet between him and terror organizations in Syria, according to officials. The conversations allegedly revealed Abdul-Rahman's ambition to be a bomb-maker for groups known as Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ) and Hay'at Tahrir al Sham (HTS).

The U.S. State Department designates both KTJ and HTS as terrorist organizations with global reach and HTS as global terrorist organizations, with KTJ linked to Al-Qaeda, the prosecutors claimed.

In the course of their investigation, police found Abdul-Rahman was buying tactical and military equipment and materials that could be used to make bombs, as the DA's office disclosed.

Prosecutors have cited the seriousness of the charges and inadequate rehabilitation options available in the juvenile system as grounds for transferring the case to adult court.

The court records of the case are not accessible on the Internet, and the office of the District Attorney has not responded to requests about Abdul-Rahman's representation.

His father, Qawi Abdul-Rahman, a prominent local criminal defense lawyer and former judicial candidate, was unable to be reached to discuss the matter.