A 27-year-old U.S. citizen and former Brooklyn resident has been convicted of receiving military-style training from ISIS in Syria, nearly a decade after traveling to territory controlled by the terrorist organization, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday.
Halima Salman, also known as “Umm Khattab al-Muhajir,” was convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn after a 2-week trial. Prosecutors said she received military training from Khatiba Nusaybah, a unit made up of female ISIS members.
In September and October 2016, Salman left the United States with her parents and 8 siblings. The family eventually traveled to Syria, where ISIS controlled territory, according to evidence presented at trial.
By late 2016 or early 2017, Salman was 18 and married to an ISIS fighter. Prosecutors said she voluntarily received military training from the group and was authorized to carry ammunition and an assault rifle.
Prosecutors said Salman received a certificate confirming she had completed the training. A copy was later found on her husband’s cellphone after the phone was recovered from a battlefield.
The phone also contained photos of Salman with an ISIS flag in the background and a video showing her holding an AK-47 rifle, prosecutors said.
The FBI’s New York office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Amir and Amanda Shami handled the prosecution, with help from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said the verdict showed that people who receive training from ISIS can face prosecution. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said his office would continue prosecuting people who support the group.
The case focused on Salman’s activities in Syria in 2016 and 2017. The Justice Department announced the verdict Tuesday but did not provide a sentencing date.