NEW YORK (Diya TV) — New York City authorities are investigating an attempted bombing outside the official residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani as an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack, officials said Monday. Police arrested two teenage suspects who allegedly threw improvised explosive devices during a heated protest and counterprotest over the weekend. Officials said the devices could have caused serious injuries or deaths if they had detonated. No one was injured in the incident.
Police identified the suspects as 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, both from Pennsylvania. Federal prosecutors charged them with several serious crimes, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and providing support to a terrorist organization.
According to investigators, the two men traveled from Pennsylvania to New York City on Saturday. Authorities say they threw two improvised explosive devices near a protest outside Gracie Mansion in Manhattan. Police said neither device exploded. Officers quickly detained the suspects at the scene.
In a federal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, prosecutors alleged that the suspects attempted to detonate explosive devices near the mayor’s residence during a protest and counterprotest. Investigators also found materials linked to bomb-making inside a vehicle connected to the suspects.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said investigators determined that the devices were real bombs.
“These were not hoax devices nor smoke bombs,” Tisch said at a Monday press conference. “They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death.”
Authorities said at least one device contained triacetone triperoxide, commonly known as TATP. Bomb makers often use this volatile chemical in improvised explosives.
Police also discovered a third device inside a nearby vehicle. Officials later determined that the third device did not contain explosive material. Investigators conducted controlled detonations on the seized devices to analyze them. Officials said the tests showed the bombs had the potential to cause major damage.
Federal prosecutors said both suspects made statements linking themselves to the extremist group Islamic State.
According to court documents, Balat wrote on a piece of paper that he had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Investigators said Kayumi also told officers that he watched ISIS-related content online and considered himself affiliated with the group. During a news conference, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton described the incident as an ISIS-inspired act.
“Violence that is meant to chill free speech and prevent peaceful gatherings will be met with swift justice,” Clayton said.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the suspects acted alone or had contact with ISIS operatives. Officials said investigators continue to examine the suspects’ online activity and communications.
The alleged attack occurred during an anti-Muslim protest organized by far-right activist Jake Lang. The demonstration took place near Gracie Mansion, the official residence of Mayor Mamdani. The event drew about 20 protesters and more than 100 counterprotesters, according to police.
Authorities said the suspects targeted the right-wing protest group with the explosive devices. Mayor Mamdani condemned the alleged attack but defended the right to peaceful protest.
“Ours is a free society where the right to peaceful protest is sacred,” Mamdani said Monday. “It does not belong only to those we agree with.”
The mayor also criticized the original demonstration, calling it a protest rooted in bigotry.
Officials said investigators found additional evidence in a vehicle linked to the suspects. Police discovered a hobby fuse, an empty metal can, and a notebook listing chemicals that could be used to build explosives. Authorities also tracked the suspects’ travel using an automated license plate reader that recorded their vehicle entering New York City from New Jersey shortly before the incident.
Kayumi’s mother had previously reported him missing earlier Saturday, according to investigators. The suspects appeared in federal court on Monday. Their attorneys requested protective custody while they remain detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Police said the city remains on heightened alert as investigators review the case. Commissioner Tisch said the city increased security levels due to global tensions and the risk of extremist violence.
“We remain vigilant,” she said. “Our priority is keeping New Yorkers safe.”
