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'Flying plane into Washington to avenge Soleimani's death': Audio message prompts federal probe

'Flying plane into Washington to avenge Soleimani's death': Audio message prompts federal probe

Qassem Soleimani

The US Federal law enforcement is investigating a chilling threat to hit the Capitol building with a plane sent to New York air traffic controllers Monday, CBS reports.

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The officials are investigating a terrifying message threatening to fly a plane into the Capitol building to avenge the death of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, which was broadcasted on air traffic control frequencies.

In an audio message, an unidentified voice says, “We are flying a plane into the Capitol on Wednesday. Soleimani will be avenged.”

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The threat arrived on the anniversary of the killing of top Iranian military official Qassem Soleimani by US drone strike.

General Qassem Soleimani, the former head of Iran's Quds Force, the external operations branch of the country's Islamic Guard Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed by the U.S. military near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq a year ago.

It is not yet clear who sent the message and the threat is not believed to credible, CBS reports, but the Pentagon and other agencies were briefed on Tuesday.

CBS News states that US officials don't believe what the air traffic controllers heard was a credible threat, although it is a major breach of radio transmission protocol and they are investigating it as such.

(With inputs from agencies)