By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- • Two men, 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi of Pennsylvania, were federally charged after improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were thrown during a protest outside the New York City mayor’s residence.
- • Prosecutors allege both suspects were inspired by ISIS and sought to carry out an attack “bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing,” according to a federal affidavit.
- • The devices reportedly contained TATP, a highly unstable explosive often used in extremist bomb attacks, and included shrapnel materials such as nuts and bolts.
- • Federal charges include attempted provision of material support to a terrorist organization and use of a weapon of mass destruction.
- • The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and NYPD continue to investigate the incident, which officials are treating as an ISIS-inspired terror plot.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Federal prosecutors and the FBI said two Pennsylvania men charged in connection with improvised explosive devices thrown at a protest outside the New York City mayor’s residence intended to carry out an attack more destructive than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
FBI/TNS
Eighteen-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested after allegedly igniting and throwing two devices toward a crowd near Gracie Mansion during dueling demonstrations Saturday. Officials said one device contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP) — a volatile explosive used in multiple terrorist attacks — along with nuts, bolts and screws intended as shrapnel.
According to a federal affidavit, Balat later told investigators that the pair wanted an attack “bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing,” which killed three people and injured hundreds, and noted that the earlier bombing “was only three deaths.” Kayumi was recorded on NYPD body-worn camera footage referencing ISIS during his arrest, and both men are accused of expressing supportive statements toward the group.
Both defendants have been charged in federal court with multiple offenses, including attempted provision of material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and transportation of explosive materials. Prosecutors said the charges reflect the alleged intent and ideology behind the attack.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD’s Counterterrorism Bureau are leading the investigation, with agents executing search warrants and reviewing digital evidence as part of efforts to determine the full scope of the plot. Officials said the devices’ construction raised serious concerns about potential for mass casualties if they had detonated as intended.
A preliminary court hearing for Balat and Kayumi is scheduled for April 8, and both remain in federal custody pending further proceedings. Authorities said they continue to assess additional evidence and urge anyone with information to contact law enforcement.