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FBI: Washington High On ISIS's Attack List

EDGEWOOD, Md. (WJZ)--The FBI believes the D.C. area is high on ISIL's  list for terrorist attacks.

The assistant director of FBI intelligence calls it a constant and persistent threat.

Pat Warren has more on the job of tracking down potential attacks.

In Edgewood, Harford County, 30-year-old Mohamed Elshinawy reportedly plotted for ISIL, according to charging documents he pledged his allegiance to ISIL and called himself a soldier of the state.

"He even discussed obtaining explosives and carrying out a violent act against the United States," said U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein.

And with Washington, D.C. so close to home it supports intelligence that D.C. is a likely target for any terrorist, lone wolf or organization.

"Washington poses a particularly enticing target because you have all of the infrastructure and human capital that any major city would have," said Michael Vesely, Sr., law and policy analyst at University of Maryland.

The assistant director of intelligence at FBI headquarters tells WTOP radio that D.C. is repeatedly mentioned as a target.

"Lone wolf attacks aren't kind of detonating a nuclear device, or by and large they're not biological or chemical attacks," said Vesely. "They use the means that they have in the United States, that means guns and explosives."

The Department of Homeland Security bulletin reports no specific and credible plots by terrorist organizations to attack the homeland. The reality is terrorist-inspired individuals have conducted, or attempted to conduct, attacks this year.

According to the department of homeland security, federal, state, and local authorities are coordinating numerous law enforcement actions and community outreach to address evolving threats.

Elshinawy was in court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to charges against him, according to our media partner The Baltimore Sun.

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