FBI Makes 10 Arrests in Connection to July 4 Islamic State Attacks, Director Says

The FBI announced this week that it had successfully arrested 10 people associated with the Islamic State for allegedly plotting terrorist attack on U.S. soil during the Fourth of July holiday.

FBI Director James Comey told reporters that the government agency has arrested ten people reportedly inspired by Islamic State online posts. Many of the 10 arrested were reportedly plotting to carry out attacks on July 4 on U.S. soil.

"I do believe our work disrupted efforts to kill people, likely in connection with July 4," Comey said Thursday from the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The FBI Director added that it is often difficult to detect when the Islamic State is planning an attack, saying: "It's actually hard to figure out when they're trying to kill somebody."

"And you cannot say, 'Well, we've got to do it on the Fourth. Because you know you have people who are motivated to kill people, and they are unreliable in terms of when they're going to act," Comey added.

Comey also told a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that it is important for the FBI to have access to encrypted messages being exchanged via mobile communications.

The FBI has encouraged technology companies such as Apple Inc. and Google In. to give the government agency access to encrypted messages in order to stop illegal activity, including messages exchanged between Islamic State sympathizers.

"The tools we are asked to use are increasingly ineffective," Comey said. "ISIL says go kill, go kill [...] we are stopping these things so far [...] but it is incredibly difficult. I cannot see me stopping these indefinitely."