American Woman Arrested for Allegedly Building All-Female ISIS Battalion, Planning Mass Casualty Event

Federal charges have been filed against a former Kansas resident accused of joining the Islamic State in Syria, where she allegedly organized, led and trained an all-female military regiment, PEOPLE confirms.

A statement from the Department of Justice alleges that Allison Fluke-Ekren, a 42-year-old former teacher, has been charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.

Fluke-Ekren had been previously apprehended in Syria, but was only transferred into the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday. She will make her first court appearance in Alexandria, Va., this afternoon.

The criminal complaint against Fluke-Ekren alleges she traveled to Syria in 2012 and married a prominent ISIS leader.

Fluke-Ekren — also known as Umm Mohammed al-Amriki, Umm Mohammed, or Umm Jabril — traveled to Syria "for the purpose of committing or supporting terrorism," reads the statement.

"Since her departure from the United States, Fluke-Ekren has allegedly been involved with a number of terrorism-related activities on behalf of ISIS from at least 2014," the statement continues. "These activities allegedly include, but are not limited to, planning and recruiting operatives for a potential future attack on a college campus inside the United States and serving as the appointed leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, in order to train women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts."

Fluke-Ekren allegedly "provided ISIS and ISIS members with services, which included providing lodging, translating speeches made by ISIS leaders, training children on the use of AK-47 assault rifles and suicide belts and teaching extremist ISIS doctrine."

The criminal complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, details the eyewitness observations of six separate individuals, "who collectively observed Fluke-Ekren's alleged terrorist conduct from at least 2014 through approximately 2017."

The complaint alleges that Fluke-Ekren told a witness she wanted to conduct an attack in the United States, who recalls that she said she wanted to go to a shopping mall, park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement or parking garage level of the structure, and detonate them with a cell phone triggering device.

"Fluke-Ekren allegedly considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources," the statement reads.

"As alleged by the same witness, Fluke-Ekren would hear about external attacks taking place in countries outside the United States and would comment that she wished the attack occurred on United States soil instead," it continues.

The Khatiba Nusaybah, according to the statement, was a military battalion comprised solely of female ISIS members who were married to male ISIS fighters.

"Fluke-Ekren allegedly became the leader and organizer of the battalion," the statement reads. "Fluke-Ekren's alleged main objective in this role was to teach the women of ISIS how to defend themselves against ISIS' enemies."

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The women of Khatiba Nusaybah were also instructed in classes on "physical training, medical training, Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) driving courses, religious classes and how to pack and prep a 'go bag' with rifles and other military supplies." Eyewitness accounts claim some of these classes were led by Fluke-Ekren.

"One witness in particular allegedly observed that the leaders of ISIS and the other members of the military battalion were proud to have an American instructor," the statement says. "Fluke-Ekren also allegedly trained children on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts."

Fluke-Ekren will be appointed an attorney today in court.