Two bombs were thrown during protests near the home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The incident is being investigated as an act of potential terrorism.
Update 2 p.m. ET, March 9: The two men said they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group, according to a court filing, The Associated Press reported.
Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi are charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.
Kayumi told the crowd that had gathered during his arrest on Saturday that “ISIS” was the reason for the incident. Kayumi said he was affiliated with ISIS, and Balat told officials that he pledged allegiance to the extremist group, the AP reported.
Balat said he likened the attempted attack to the Boston Marathon bombing, but “even bigger.”
Original report: The two improvised explosive devices did not explode, The Associated Press reported.
New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch said they were thrown during protests and counterprotests on Saturday near the mayor’s residence, Gracie Mansion.
Two people were taken into custody but had not been charged as of Monday.
The New York Times identified Emir Balat, 18, as the person who allegedly threw the device, and Ibrahim Nikk, 19, who is accused of supplying one of them. Both are from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, WNYW reported. Their homes were searched as part of the investigation.
Both were arrested at the scene.
The New York City Police are working with the FBI and federal prosecutors. Agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are part of the investigation.
“I can confirm this morning that this is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism,” Tisch said, according to the AP.
She said there was no apparent link to Iran or the war there, the AP reported.
Tisch said the IED was made with nuts, bolts, screws and a “hobby fuse” but went out before it exploded. It landed near police officers. A second device did not appear to ignite.
A third device was found in a car parked near the mayor’s residence, WNYW reported.
Tisch wrote on social media that the device was “not a hoax device or a smoke bomb,” but “an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.”
Mamdani and his wife were not home at the time of the protest, the Times reported.
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