A suicide explosion rocked US Manhattan, an Afghani suspect arrested

The man suspected of setting off the explosion Monday morning in Midtown Manhattan was identified by authorities as 27-year-old AkayedUllah, described as an immigrant from Bangladesh. The blast, which occurred in the area of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, resulted in serious injuries to the suspect and minor injuries to at least three others, authorities said during a morning news conference.

Ullah sustained burns and lacerations to his hands and abdomen, authorities said. Police said he was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment and then taken into custody.

Police said that three other people also suffered minor injuries caused by being in close proximity to the explosion, including ringing in the ears and headaches, and took themselves to a nearby hospital.

“When we hear of an attack in the subways, it’s incredibly unsettling,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. “And let’s also be clear, this was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals.”

The NYPD is investigating the explosion as a possible terrorism incident, according to law enforcement officials.

John Miller, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism and Intelligence, said during a news conference that the pipe bomb was “affixed to his person with a combination of Velcro and zip ties.”

Miller said that investigators are in the process of collecting the pieces to determine what was inside the device.

Investigators are trying to determine if the device may have detonated prematurely, or partially, when it exploded inside a subway station at 8th Avenue and 42nd Street, officials said.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), who described the bomb as “an effectively low-tech device,” said he was grateful the only injuries to victims were minor.

The blast took place in an underground passageway at the Port Authority subway station, at 42nd Street between 7th and 8th avenues, authorities said. The suspect was walking eastbound in the passageway at the time, during what would have been peak morning commute hours.

“The first news this morning was obviously very frightening and disturbing,” Cuomo said. “When you hear about a bomb in the subway station, it is in many ways one of our worst nightmares. The reality turns out to be better than the initial expectation and fear.”

While there were no immediate claims of responsibility for the explosion, a pro-Islamic State media group suggested it was carried out in response to President Trump’s recent statement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

On MSNBC, former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton said the suspect “was supposedly setting the device off in the name of ISIS,” according to preliminary information from his police sources. ISIS is another name for the Islamic State, an extremist group that has urged its followers to wage attacks around the world.

“So, definitely a terrorist attack. Definitely intended,” Bratton told the news network. “As to whether the device malfunctioned or didn’t function correctly, that will have to be determined.”

New Yorkers should expect to see increased police presence at all transportation hubs around the city immediately, he said.