Canada Arrests Man, Alleges Ties to Islamic State

From left, James Malizia and Jennifer Strachan, both Royal Canadian Mounted Police officials, and Deputy Commissioner Scott Tod of the Ontario Provincial Police talk to reporters in Ottawa after announcing terror-related charges against three men, Feb. 3, 2015.

Canadian police on Tuesday arrested one man and charged two men who are overseas for alleged involvement in recruiting fighters for the Islamic State terrorist group.

Police arrested Awso Peshdary, 25, charging him with participation in the activity of a terrorist group and with facilitating a terrorist group.

Police also filed terrorism charges in absentia against Khadar Khalib, 23, and John Maguire, a 24-year-old convert to Islam. Both men had traveled to Syria.

Both were active on social media denouncing Canada and its allies in their fight against IS. Maguire was said to have been killed in 2014, but police said they had no proof of his death.

The arrest and charges are linked to three arrests last month in Ottawa. Police charged Suliman Mohamed, 21, with participating in a terrorist group. That arrest occurred just days after twin brothers Ashton Carleton Larmond and Carlos Larmond were charged with terrorism-related offenses.

In October, a gunman shot and killed a soldier at Canada's National War Memorial in Ottawa and then stormed the Parliament before being gunned down.

The attack came two days after a man ran over two soldiers in a parking lot in Quebec, killing one and injuring the other, before being shot to death by police.

Canada is taking part in the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria.