Photo credit: DOJ “Balat additionally stated that they wanted to carry out an attack bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing, which Balat noted caused only ‘three deaths.'”
The federal complaint against Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, was released on Monday afternoon, detailing charges against the two Pennsylvania men who are suspected of attempting to commit an ISIS-inspired bombing on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Saturday.
Count one alleges that the two “knowingly attempted to provide ‘material support or resources’… including personnel, to wit, themselves, and services to a foreign terrorist organization, to wit, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (‘ISIS‘).” ISIS is a designated foreign terrorist organization. Count two details charges for use of a weapon of mass destruction, saying that the two “knowingly used, threatened, and attempted to use, a weapon of mass destruction—namely, a destructive device… against persons and property withing the United States…”
Counts three, four, and five all stem from the first two and reference transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation and receipt of explosives, and the unlawful possession of destructive devices.
Kayumi and Balat are alleged to have “attempted to detonate two apparent explosive devices in the vicinity of Gracie Mansion, in Manhattan, New York, during a protest and counter-protest in the area. Preliminary results of testing of one of the devices indicates that it contained a quantity of triacetone triperoxide, a highly volatile material used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade.”
The incident on Saturday began when a large group of counter-protesters, about 125, confronted a small group of protesters, 20, led by conservative activist Jake Lang. Lang’s group was protesting the alleged Islamification of New York and brought with them a fully roasted pig. The protest took place near Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence, Gracie Mansion, though neither he nor his wife were home at the time.
Mamdani knew about the protest at least a week in advance and went to the New York Sign Museum in Brooklyn for the day, keeping tabs on the protest via updates from the NYPD. Protesters and counter-protesters clashed, and NYPD thwarted an attack after Balat allegedly threw an IED that fizzled out. He attempted to throw another device, which he got from Kayumi who was stationed nearby. Both men were arrested and both devices were taken to the NYPD facility at Rodman’s Neck for examination and detonation.
A third device was found in a car connected to the men, believed to be their transport from Pennsylvania to New York. The car had New Jersey plates and belonged to a relative. Both men live with their families in Pennsylvania and those homes were raided by the FBI. Family members could be seen being escorted out.
When they were arrested, Balat wrote on a piece of paper, “All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar!” Balat further said, “this isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet . . . We take action!” These comments were captured on NYPD body cam.
The complaint details their comments, saying, “Balat and Kayumi both made statements referring to ISIS. For example, as Kayumi was being placed inside an NYPD vehicle to be transported, an individual from the surrounding crowd yelled to Kayumi and asked, in substance and in part, why he had done this.
“Kayumi responded, in part and as captured on NYPD body-worn camera footage, ‘ISIS.’ Balat and Kayumi also referred to ISIS in recorded post-arrest statements they made after receiving and waiving their Miranda rights. More specifically, Balat wrote on a piece of paper that he ‘pledge[d] [] allegience [sic] to the Islamic State’ and Kayumi stated, in substance and in part, that he was affiliated with ISIS; watched ISIS propaganda on his phone; and was partly inspired to carry out his actions that day by ISIS. Balat additionally stated that they wanted to carry out an attack bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing, which Balat noted caused only ‘three deaths.'”
