Washington, Oct 22 (PTI): A major terrorist attack on busy shopping malls in the US has been foiled with the arrest of a 27-year old Muslim youth in Boston, who along with his accomplices, discussed about their desire to launch a violent 'jihad', the FBI claimed today.

According to the complaint affidavit, the youth, Tarek Mehanna, and co-conspirators had multiple conversations about obtaining automatic weapons and randomly shooting people in a shopping mall.

The conversations went so far as to discuss the logistics of a mall attack, including coordination, weapons needed and the possibility of attacking emergency responders, the affidavit alleged.

However, it added that the plan was ultimately abandoned, because of their inability to obtain automatic weapons they thought were necessary to effectively carry out the attacks.

Mehanna was previously indicted in January 2009 for making false statements to members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI in connection with a terrorism investigation.

"Today's arrest, done in conjunction with a search of his home, involves broader and more serious charges," US attorney Michael Loucks was quoted as saying by The Boston Globe. The complaint affidavit alleges that Mehanna and co-conspirators discussed their desire to participate in violent 'jihad' against American interests and that they would talk about fighting 'jihad' and their desire to die on the battlefield.

It alleges that the co-conspirators attempted to radicalise others and inspire each other by, among other things, watching and distributing jihadi videos.

It is alleged that, among other things, Mehanna and two of his associates travelled to the Middle East in February 2004, seeking military-type training at a terrorist training camp that would prepare them for armed jihad against US interests, including US and allied forces in Iraq.

The complaint also alleges that one of Mehanna's co-conspirators made two similar trips to Pakistan in 2002.

At a news conference in Boston, Loucks said the conspirators were inspired by the DC sniper shootings of 2002 and viewed civilians as fair game because they were "taxpayers and non-believers".

They also discussed attacking two members of the executive branch, Loucks said.

Those people are no longer in the executive branch and "neither were in any danger at any time from Mehanna or his co-conspirators," he was quoted as saying.

In December of 2006, Abousamra was interviewed by the members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and within two weeks, he left for Syria and never returned, Loucks said.

Mehanna, was arrested in November 2008 at Logan International Airport as he was about to leave the country and indicted in January on charges of making false statements to investigators, the daily reported on its website.