New York, Jan 23 (AFP) Four young men were arrested New York state for allegedly planning a "potentially lethal" attack on a Muslim community regularly targeted by US extremist sites, police said Wednesday.

Police in Greece, New York recovered three explosive devices and 23 weapons -- mostly shotguns -- from the homes of the suspects, according to spokesman, Jared Rene.

The four, whose ages range from 16 to 20, were accused of planning a "potentially lethal attack" for against a community called "Islamberg" several hours drive from Greece, Rene said.

The community of some 200 people is managed by the organization Muslims of America, which thanked authorities for preventing a "possible massacre of our community."

Rene said police were tipped off by a high school student who overheard other students speaking of a "next school shooter." When authorities searched homes they found weapons legally obtained by parents, but uncovered the attack plot.

"The kids did the right thing. When they saw something, they said something. It was a collaborative effort, we uncovered what was probably going to be a deadly attack," he said. (AFP) SCY

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)