In yet another “attempted terrorist attack” in New York City, an ISIS-inspired man of Bangladeshi descent set off a home-made pipe bomb at the Port Authority Bus Terminal subway station at the height of the morning rush hour on Monday, injuring himself and three others.
The bomber was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, who had a five-inch metal pipe bomb and battery pack strapped to his person, set off the crude device in the subway, just a block away from the crowded Times Square.
While the suspect was seriously wounded in the blast, injuries to the three victims were described as “non-life-threatening”. Ullah, believed to be the only person involved in the terror bid, was taken to hospital with a serious stomach laceration and burns to his hands and torso.
Although the damage was minimal, the explosion that took place around 7.30 a.m. local time, threw Manhattan’s rush hour traffic into chaos. The subway stations were evacuated, and Port Authority Bus Terminal was also shut down.
The suspect “did make statements” about ISIS following the blast, Police Commissioner James O’Neill said, without elaborating on it right away.
Calling it an attempted act of terror, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference later: “Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goal.” He had a word of praise for New Yorkers as they took yet another episode of the kind in their stride. “This is the most resilient place on Earth. We’ve proven it time and time again,” the mayor said.
The overall situation, following the detonation that took place near 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, appeared to have been contained, authorities said. Media reports cited witnesses as saying that the blast scene smelled as if a firecracker had gone off.
“There are no additional known incidents at this time, there are no additional known activities,” de Blasio said. “We will wait for a fuller investigation … at this point in time, all we know of is one individual who, thank God, was unsuccessful in his aims.”
“This is New York, the reality is we are a target by many,” commented New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The last terror attack to rock New York was on October 31, when another ISIS-inspired man drove a rented truck onto a bike path near the World Trade Center, killing eight people.