Home / News / New York explosion: Man detonates pipe bomb in 'attempted terrorist attack,' officials say
New York explosion: Man detonates pipe bomb in 'attempted terrorist attack,' officials say
The Levant Dec 11, 2017	News, Terrorism, United States Leave a comment
A man wearing a homemade pipe bomb detonated his explosive in a walkway at the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square on Monday, injuring three people and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the city, officials said.
Authorities called the explosion in the terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue an "attempted terrorist attack" and police identified the suspect as Akayed Ullah, 27. They said the attack appears to be isolated.
Ullah was hurt and is in custody, authorities said.
More on suspect: Ullah is of Bangladeshi descent and lives in Brooklyn, two law enforcement sources told CNN.
Type of device: Ullah wore an "improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body," which he intentionally detonated, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. The device, a pipe bomb, was attached to Ullah with Velcro and zip ties, said John Miller, NYPD deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism.
How bomb was made: According to a senior New York law enforcement official and a city official being briefed on the investigation, Ullah told police he made the device at his workplace. It's unclear where he's employed. Added Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a news conference, "Anyone can go on the Internet and download garbage and vileness on how to put together an amateur-level explosive device, and that is the reality that we live with."
Being treated: Ullah is now at Bellevue Hospital, where he is being treated for lacerations and burns to his hands and abdomen, New York City Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.
Other injuries minor: Two victims at Mount Sinai West and one at Mount Sinai Queens are being treated for headaches and ringing in the ears, Nigro said.
Suspect affiliations: It's unclear if Ullah is linked to any terror organization, but when asked if Ullah was connected to ISIS, O'Neill responded only that Ullah "did make statements, but we will not talk about that."
Location and time: The blast detonated around 7:20 a.m. ET in an underground walkway connecting two subway lines, officials said.
Transit disruption: There are still disruptions on the Seventh and Eighth Avenue lines, as well as the shuttle between Grand Central Station and Times Square. Service should return to normal before evening rush hour, transit officials said.
Terror links?
Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident an "attempted terrorist attack," while Police Commissioner James O'Neill called it a "terror-related incident." Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the perpetrator used an amateur "effectively low-tech device."
"There are also no credible and specific threats against New York City at this time," de Blasio said.
The A, C and E subway lines were evacuated, NYPD Sgt. Brendan Ryan said. The subway entrance on Eighth Avenue is closed.
Tags Bangladesh explosion New York pipe bomb Terrorism
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