Minnesota – Fourteen U.S. citizens have been charged with attempting to join a Somali-based terrorist group linked to al-Qaida, law enforcement officials told NBC News.
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The charges were due to be formally announced at a news conference a noon ET at the Justice Department, NBC said.
The 14 people include 12 from Minnesota, one from Alabama and one from California, the officials said.
Al-Shabab is Somalia’s most-feared militant group.
The group recently claimed responsibility for bombing two sites in Uganda where people were watching the World Cup final game on television, saying the blasts were in retaliation for civilian deaths caused by African Union troops in Somali capital Mogadishu.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for further details.