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BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. — Two young men from Pennsylvania are accused of driving to New York City with a pair of homemade bombs before throwing them at protesters and police officers on March 7.
Both devices failed to detonate. Police arrested both men at the scene. They were identified as Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, both described by the FBI as supporters of the Islamic State terror group.
Prosecutors say they brought the devices to target a protest outside the mayor’s home, Gracie Mansion, in Manhattan.
SUSPECT IN NYC TERROR PROBE PLANNED ATTACK ‘BIGGER THAN THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING,’ PROSECUTORS SAY
Here’s a timeline of events:
Monday, March 2:
Surveillance footage obtained by Fox News Digital appears to show Balat purchase a 20-foot roll of fuse from Phantom Fireworks in Penndel, Pennsylvania. The purchase was made just two days after the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran and killed dozens of top leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
WATCH: Surveillance video appears to show NYC terror suspect buying fuse in Pennsylvania
“The single item purchased was a 20-foot length of consumer fireworks safety fuse,” Phantom Fireworks Vice President and General Counsel William Weimer told Fox News Digital. “The total spend was $6.89 including tax.”
The same type of fuse would later be recovered during a search of a vehicle in Manhattan.
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Saturday, March 7:
In the street outside Gracie Mansion, about 20 people joined a protest organizers dubbed “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City: Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer.” A counterprotest titled “Run the Nazis out of New York City: Stand Against Hate” drew about 125 more.
The two sides clashed, leading to at least one arrest before the attack.
MYSTERIOUS CALLS PLACED FROM NYC TERROR SUSPECT’S FAMILY HOME HOURS AFTER ALLEGED ISIS-INSPIRED ATTACK
Video appears to show Balat emerge from behind a counterprotester at about 12:15 p.m. and throw the first device near the intersection of 87th Street and East End Avenue.
Although it smoked, the explosive compound inside did not go off, saving people nearby from metal and glass shrapnel packed inside.
Another video appears to show Kayumi handing a second alleged IED to Balat, who allegedly lit it and dropped it at the feet of a group of police officers. Officers arrested him after it failed to detonate.
“After being apprehended by NYPD officers, both Balat and Kayumi stated they were aligned with ISIS,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement.
Hours after the arrests, someone at Kayumi’s home called law enforcement multiple times. The first two calls were placed at 4:15 p.m. and 9:19 p.m. Saturday. A third came just before 9 p.m. Sunday. Authorities have not released additional details.
Two NYPD members, Chief Aaron Edwards and Sgt. Luis Navarro, were later honored by city leaders for their heroism.
Sunday, March 8:
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that the bomb squad’s preliminary investigation had found “an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.”
She added that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) was assisting with the case and made no mention of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose wife Rama Duwaji has been accused of “liking” social media posts promoting Hamas’ Oct. 7 2023, terror attacks against Israel, blasted protest organizer Jake Lang on X by name in a post about the failed bombing.
“White supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City,” he wrote. “It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are.”
He went on to condemn “violence” without mentioning the suspected terror motive.
“What followed was even more disturbing,” he wrote. “Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”
He also thanked the NYPD officers on scene for their quick response, years after calling for the department to be dismantled in another X post.
Separately, police located a parked vehicle registered to one of Balat’s relatives parked near Gracie Mansion. Inside, they allegedly found additional explosive materials and handwritten notes with references to “TATP,” the volatile compound police said was used in the IEDs.
Monday, March 9:
FBI bomb technicians found “explosive residue” at a Pennsylvania storage unit allegedly connected to Balat and Kayumi. They conducted a controlled detonation.
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“This was an alleged ISIS-inspired act of terrorism that could have killed American citizens,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation—our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant, as they were when these devices were brought to a protest.”
The SDNY also announced federal charges against the suspects and released new details about their alleged support for ISIS.
“All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds!” Balat wrote after being given a pen and paper following his arrest, according to the FBI. “I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar! Emir B.”
Kuffar is an Arabic term referring to non-Muslims.
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Kayumi allegedly told police he watched ISIS propaganda on his phone and was partly inspired by the terror group.
Balat and Kayumi face up to life in prison on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist group, use of a weapon of mass destruction, transportation of explosives and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
