■ A Kenyan man arrested in the Philippines is accused of planning a 9/11-style attack on a U.S. target.

NEW YORK — Federal authorities on Wednesday unsealed an indictment charging a Kenyan man with trying to stage a 9/11-style attack on the United States on behalf of the terrorist organization al-shabab.

Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 30, who was arrested in the Philippines in 2019, was transferred to U.S. custody Tuesday on charges he conspired to hijack an aircraft and slam it into a building.

He pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges during a brief court appearance Wednesday and was ordered held without bond. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. His defense attorney declined to comment.

Prosecutors said Abdullah got flight training in the Philippines between 2017 and 2019 and obtained a pilot’s license in preparation for an attack.

During that time, authorities said in a news release, Abdullah researched “the means and methods to hijack a commercial airliner,” including how to breach a cockpit door and “information about the tallest building in a major U.S. city.”

“This case, which involved a plot to use an aircraft to kill innocent victims, reminds us of the deadly threat that radical Islamic terrorists continue to pose to our nation,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers in a statement.

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss called it a “chilling callback to the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001.”