On 25 June 1996, members of Saudi Hizballah carried out a terrorist attack on the Khobar Towers housing complex near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. At the time, the complex was used to house US military personnel. The terrorists drove a tanker filled with plastic explosives into the parking lot and detonated it, all but destroying the nearest building. The attack killed 19 US servicemen and one Saudi citizen, and wounded 372 others of many different nationalities.

Ahmad Ibrahim al-Mughassil was indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for that attack, on the following charges: Conspiracy to kill US nationals; conspiracy to murder US employees; conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against US nationals; conspiracy to destroy US property; conspiracy to attack national defense utilities; bombing resulting in death; use of weapons of mass destruction against US nationals; murder while using a destructive device during a crime of violence; murder of federal employees; and attempted murder of federal employees