NEW YORK: United States (US) authorities have arrested a Bangladeshi-American man on charges accusing him of seeking to join the Taliban to fight American forces in Afghanistan.

Investigators say Delowar Mohammad Hossain, 33,  was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport Friday.

Hossain, originally from Bangladesh, but now a U.S. citizen, was about to board a flight to Thailand with a final destination of Afghanistan. His goal, according to authorities, was to fight for the Taliban against us soldiers.

Hossain, dressed casually and shackled at the ankles, was arraigned in federal court on terror charges later on Friday.

Investigators said he had been planning to join the Taliban since September 2018, and had been under constant surveillance by the FBI. In conversation with one agent, Hossain allegedly said "I just want to take a ... machine gun and just shoot everybody and kill 'em all."

Since 2011, nearly 80 Americans from 20 states have traveled abroad to fight with jihadist organizations, though most have gone to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS or al Qaeda, it was pointed out. —APP