The FBI says it has thwarted a potential ISIS-inspired terror attack planned for New Year’s Eve in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old suspect before any harm could occur. Federal prosecutors allege the suspect, Christian Sturdivant of Mint Hill near Charlotte, attempted to provide material support to ISIS after making contact with individuals he believed were affiliated with the terror group. Authorities say those contacts were actually FBI undercover agents.

A devastating explosion tore through the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Homs during Friday prayers, killing at least eight worshippers and injuring several others in one of the region’s most disturbing attacks in months. Verified footage circulating online shows terrified worshippers fleeing the prayer hall as dust, debris, and smoke fill the air, a scene that has shaken Syria and renewed questions about the country’s fragile security landscape. WATCH