Nusra Front terrorist (illustration)
Nusra Front terrorist (illustration)Reuters

A US man has been charged with supporting a terrorist organization after he allegedly trained in Syria with Al-Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front and planned an attack on US soil, the Justice Department said Thursday.

A federal grand jury charged Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, 23, on three counts, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and making a false statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), reports AFP.

The Columbus, Ohio man planned an attack in the United States, according to an indictment.

The charges allege that he traveled to Syria, where he received training in shooting weapons, breaking into houses, explosives and hand-to-hand combat from the Nusra Front.

"After completing this training, he was instructed by a cleric in the organization to return to the United States and commit an act of terrorism," the indictment stated.

Mohamud, a naturalized US citizen, is accused of obtaining a US passport and traveling to Greece on a one-way ticket in April 2014.

"Mohamud sought and obtained terrorist training in Syria," said US Attorney of the southern district of Ohio, Carter Stewart. "Upon his return to the United States, he discussed carrying out acts in the United States."

Mohamud was arrested on February 21, 2015 and will be transferred to federal custody.

He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted.

US intelligence officials warned in February that more than 20,000 volunteers from around the world, including more than 150 Americans, had gone to Syria to link up with extremists.