One of two suspects arrested following an attempted mass casualty attack on police and anti-Islam protesters in New York City admitted to acting under the direction of the Islamic State after his arrest.
Video circulating online shows 18-year-old Emir Balat hurling an improvised explosive device filled with nuts and bolts toward demonstrators and law enforcement before attempting to flee. Footage captures Balat being tackled by officers after scaling a guardrail and trying to evade capture following the device deployment.
Balat, who operated alongside 19-year-old co-accused Ibrahim Kayumi of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, specifically targeted anti-Islam activist Jake Lang and his supporters during a demonstration near Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence.
After being detained, the suspect reportedly declared: “All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegiance [sic] to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar!”
Balat allegedly told authorities he intended the attack to surpass the scale of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and that he was affiliated with ISIS, aiming to kill “infidels.” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated two IEDs were deployed during the incident and described them as “meant to injure, maim, or worse.” Attorney General Pam Bondi announced today that both suspects have been charged in connection with the attempted bombing of a New York City protest.
Critics have criticized Mayor Mamdani for failing to name the suspected terrorists in his initial statement about the attack while referencing anti-Islam activist Jake Lang.
