Lirim Sylejmani, a Kosovo-born naturalized U.S. citizen, has admitted to receiving military training from the designated foreign terrorist organization ISIS. His guilty plea was formally entered in the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. on charges related to his involvement with the extremist group, according to a Department of Justice release.

U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, alongside other officials, stressed the ongoing threat from organizations like ISIS and the resolve of law enforcement to prosecute those who engage with terrorist groups. "This prosecution demonstrates that those who seek to support terrorism will pay a heavy price," Graves stated. The plea agreement outlines that Sylejmani received his ISIS military training in Syria between November 2015 and February 2019, as per the Department of Justice.

Court documents revealed that Sylejmani traveled to Syria with his family to join ISIS and underwent a soldier training program, which included handling various firearms and weapons. Upon completing this training, Sylejmani took the blood oath of allegiance to the former leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. He served the group in various capacities, including participating in frontline fighting during which he was wounded.

With the collapse of the ISIS Caliphate, Sylejmani moved several times before being captured by Coalition Forces in February 2019. He was incarcerated by the Syrian Democratic Forces and later transferred into U.S. custody to face criminal charges. The case, resulting from a thorough investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, was prosecuted by a team including Assistant U.S. Attorneys and a trial attorney from the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.