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- 🔥🕊️ ISIS-Inspired Extremist Convicted for U.S. Church Bomb Threats
🔥🕊️ ISIS-Inspired Extremist Convicted for U.S. Church Bomb Threats
Radicalized by ISIS propaganda, the Arizona man targeted Christian churches in a multi-state hate campaign

GOOD MORNING.
Tragedy has once again struck Plateau State, Nigeria—a region still mourning the devastating Christmas Eve attacks of 2023. This week, armed militants launched coordinated assaults on six predominantly Christian villages in Bokkos County, leaving at least 52 people dead and displacing hundreds more.
The violence marks one of the deadliest episodes in the area since the previous massacres and underscores the ongoing instability faced by vulnerable communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
We’ll continue to follow developments closely.
LET’S GET STARTED →
SPECIAL REPORT

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Radicalized Arizona Man Convicted for Church Bomb Hoaxes Across Multiple States
A federal jury in Sacramento has convicted 45-year-old Zimnako Salah, an Arizona resident, for a series of coordinated hoax bomb threats that targeted churches across several U.S. states. Salah, originally from Iraq and living in the Phoenix area for nearly two decades, was found guilty of planting fake explosives and carrying out acts of intimidation motivated by religious hatred.
The most notable incident occurred in Roseville, California in November 2023, when Salah tied a suspicious backpack to a toilet in a church restroom, prompting a full evacuation. Although the backpack only contained a pillow, its placement caused widespread fear among the congregation. Staff and volunteers, fearing for their lives, opened the bag only after calling 911 twice—an act one described as something they did “after saying a prayer.”
But Roseville was not the only target. Investigators found Salah had traveled to churches in Arizona, Colorado, and Southern California, leaving similar suspicious packages and changing license plates on his vehicle to avoid detection. A months-long FBI investigation eventually led to his arrest and revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior.
Radicalized by ISIS Content
Federal prosecutors described Salah as being radicalized by ISIS propaganda. He consumed graphic online content, including videos of Islamic State militants killing people labeled “infidels,” and conducted online searches aligned with extremist rhetoric. These digital breadcrumbs painted a clear picture of religiously motivated intent.
In addition to the hoaxes, Salah was allegedly building a real bomb. FBI agents discovered a cache of materials in a storage unit he rented—pipes, nails, and other components that could be used in an improvised explosive device. Prosecutors suggested the fake bombs may have been dry runs for a more lethal attack.
“Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs.”
Salah was convicted of making bomb threats and obstructing the free exercise of religion—charges that elevate the case to a hate crime under federal law. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 18, 2025, and faces up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
REGIONAL THREATS

AFRICA
MAGWI COUNTY, SOUTH SUDAN – On March 26, 2025, soldiers from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) attacked Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Loa, Eastern Equatoria, killing a parishioner and injuring another. The soldiers removed the victim’s body and attempted to conceal evidence by covering the blood with soil. Church personnel and local residents were subjected to intimidation and threats during the incident.
ITURI PROVINCE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – On April 7, 2025, the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) released photographs documenting an attack on a Christian village in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. The images depict armed militants in front of burning homes, underscoring the group’s ongoing campaign of violence against Christian communities in the region.
BOKKOS, NIGERIA – Between late March and early April 2025, gunmen attacked six villages in Bokkos Local Government Area, resulting in at least 52 deaths and displacing nearly 2,000 residents. This marks the deadliest violence in the region since the December 2023 Christmas Eve massacres, where over 100 people were killed in coordinated assaults on predominantly Christian communities. The recent attacks have intensified concerns about ongoing religious and ethnic tensions in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – On April 10, 2025, American missionary Josh Sullivan, 45, was abducted at gunpoint while delivering a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell Township, near Gqeberha. Four masked men entered the church, stole cellphones from congregants, and forced Sullivan into his silver Toyota Fortuner, which was later found abandoned nearby. Sullivan, originally from Tennessee, had been serving in South Africa since 2018 with his wife and six children. The South African Police Service’s Anti-Gang Unit is leading the investigation; no ransom demand has been reported. The U.S. Embassy is assisting with efforts to locate him.
SANGA, NIGERIA – On April 11, 2025, Pastor Samson Ndah Ali of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) was released by kidnappers after being abducted from his residence in Mararaba Aboro on April 8. However, the church’s financial secretary, Yusuf Shehu Ambi, who delivered the ransom, remains in captivity as the abductors demand additional conditions for his release.
MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA
JABALPUR, INDIA – On March 31, 2025, approximately 50 Catholic pilgrims from Mandla parish were attacked by Hindu nationalist groups in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during a Jubilee 2025 pilgrimage. The attackers, alleging forced religious conversions, forcibly took the pilgrims to Ranjhi police station, where they were detained for six hours. When senior diocesan officials, including Vicar General Father Davis George and Procurator Father George Thomas, arrived to assist, they were assaulted by the mob within the police station premises.
FAISALABAD DISTRICT, PAKISTAN – On March 25, 2025, in Chak 62-GB Channan village, masked gunmen robbed Adnan Masih and his wife, tied Masih to a tree, and gang-raped his wife after learning they were Christians. The assailants fled after the attack. Police arrested all three suspects following media coverage and orders from the Punjab chief minister.
BLUDAN, SYRIA – On April 6, 2025, a terrorist attack was thwarted at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George in Bludan, Syria. Members of al-Jolani’s extremist militia attempted to set the church ablaze by pouring gasoline on the seats and placing cannabis within the building, presumably to accelerate the fire. They also planted two explosive devices. However, the fire extinguished itself, and the bombs failed to detonate.
PHOOLNAGAR, PAKISTAN – On April 5, 2025, Pastor Tanveer Boota of Bethaniya Pentecostal Church in Gulshan Basti, Phoolnagar, thwarted an attempted arson attack on his church. Awakened by noise around midnight, Pastor Boota discovered two masked individuals setting fire to a curtain in the church hall. Upon his intervention, the perpetrators fled, and his brother extinguished the fire. Police recovered a kerosene-filled bottle and a makeshift torch at the scene.
SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA
No current updates.
LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
No current updates.
NORTH AMERICA
WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA – On March 30, 2025, police conducted a drug bust at All Saints Apostolic Church on Neabsco Mills Road following an investigation into suspicious activity. Authorities discovered marijuana packaged for distribution and arrested 48-year-old Keith Carrington, a church member, on multiple drug-related charges.
WEST ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS – On April 6, 2025, a student attending a confirmation retreat at Saint John Chrysostom Parish discovered a handwritten note stating, “I have a gun and I’m going to kill everyone.” Approximately 200 teens were safely evacuated by staff and volunteers. Boston Police, with assistance from a ballistics-sniffing K-9 unit, searched the premises but found no evidence to substantiate the threat.
EUROPE
KYIV, UKRAINE – On April 8, 2025, four Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) parishes in the cities and villages of Kyiv, Svetilnya, Stary Bezradichi, Storozhinets, and Verkhny Stanovtsi were violently attacked or seized by members of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). In several cases, police did not intervene, and parishioners—mostly women and elderly—were beaten or tear-gassed while defending their churches from forced takeovers.
BENEVENTO, ITALY – On April 6, 2025, thieves broke into the sacristy and adjacent offices of the Church of Santa Maria della Pace e Santa Rita in Benevento, stealing cash and equipment. The parish priest, Don Teodoro Rapuano, expressed dismay upon learning of the burglary from a staff member.
PORTO, PORTUGAL – In the early hours of April 9, 2025, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Areosa in Porto was burglarized. The perpetrator gained entry by breaking a window and targeted the lampadary donation box, whose contents were stolen.
ROME, ITALY – On April 9, 2025, two individuals arriving on separate flights from São Paulo were arrested at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport for attempting to smuggle 35 kilograms of cocaine concealed in 32 packages within their checked luggage. The suspects claimed to be Catholic pilgrims attending the Jubilee 2025 events, stating they planned to meet a group of religious individuals already in Italy.
AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA
No current updates.
PRAYER REQUESTS

Fellowship Baptist Church
Please join us in urgent prayer for Josh Sullivan, a 45-year-old American missionary who was abducted at gunpoint while preaching at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell Township, South Africa, on April 10.
Josh, originally from Tennessee, has been serving in South Africa with his wife and six children since 2018. Armed assailants entered the church during a service, robbed congregants, and forced him into his vehicle before fleeing the scene. Authorities are actively investigating, and the U.S. Embassy is involved.
“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him.’”
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