The two “alleged ISIS-inspired terrorists” who attempted to bomb a New York City anti-Muslim protest outside of Gracie Mansion were charged by the Department of Justice on Monday. Both men came very close to killing a lot of people before being arrested. Two devices were originally found, and a third device was located in a car connected to the men.
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Jihadists among us
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were hit with five counts, including knowingly attempting to provide “material support or resources” to ISIS, a foreign terrorist organization; use of a weapon of mass destruction (an explosive device); transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation and receipt of explosives “with the knowledge and intent that it would be used to kill, injure, and intimidate;” and unlawful possession of destructive devices, according to the Daily Wire.
“We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant.”
As previously reported, the two jihadists attempted to detonate IEDs near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan during competing protests, per an unsealed DOJ complaint, while yelling “Allahu Akbar!” Mayor Mamdani was reportedly not home at the time of the incident. One protest was called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer,” and the other was a counterprotest called “Run Nazis Out of New York City.” About 20 reportedly showed up for the anti-Islam protest… over a hundred showed up for the leftist one.
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“Preliminary results of testing of one of the devices indicate that it contained a quantity of triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile explosive material used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade,” the complaint further reveals.
That explosive also goes by the quaint nickname “Mother of Satan” and is a favorite of terrorists. The jars were wrapped in tape and filled with nails, screws, and bolts that were evidently submerged in the explosive.
Mamdani blames white supremacy
Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the attempted bombing on X, but downplayed the IEDs as violence and instead blamed conservative influencer Jake Lang, who was protesting the Islamic invasion of New York City, calling him a “white supremacist” and asserting the protest was “rooted in bigotry and racism.” He did not mention that the suspects were Muslim.
“Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism,” Mamdani charged. “Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are.”
“What followed was even more disturbing,” he added. “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.”
Men pledge allegiance to ISIS
Balat and Kayumi both made statements “referring to ISIS” after being arrested by the NYPD.
“For example,” the complaint notes, “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 reportedly wrote on a piece of paper that he had “pledged allegiance to the Islamic State,” and Kayumi said that he was affiliated with ISIS, watched ISIS propaganda on his phone, and was partially inspired to “carry out his actions that day by ISIS.”
“All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegience [sic] to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar!” Balat wrote while he was in NYPD custody. “This isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet… We take action!”
The two jihadists intended to carry out a bigger attack than the Boston Marathon bombing, which caused “three deaths” and injured over 500. However, their explosives did not detonate as intended, and two brave police officers quickly took them down.
From the Daily Wire:
Around 12:15 pm on Sunday, Balat ignited and threw an explosive device toward the area where the protestors were gathered, according to the complaint. Pictures show the alleged terrorist holding the device. Immediately after he allegedly threw it, he ran to another location down the block where he “received a second item.” After he allegedly ignited it, he dropped the device near several police officers, ran away from them, and jumped over a barricade before he was tackled and arrested by the NYPD. His cohort, Kayumi, was also arrested at the scene.
When Balat was arrested, he had a Turkish government identification card on his person that identified him as “Emir Balat” as well as a Pennsylvania driver’s license with his photograph and name. Authorities identified Kayumi through Border Patrol facial-recognition databases, the complaint states.
On Sunday, the FBI raided the Pennsylvania homes of both Islamists.
“Earlier this evening, federal and local law enforcement conducted investigative activity in Middletown Township and Newtown related to an incident that occurred yesterday near the New York City Mayor’s official residence,” wrote Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). “Authorities have indicated that there is no known threat to the surrounding community, and the situation remains under the control of law enforcement. The activity was not related to immigration enforcement.”
Except for the fact that, thanks to open borders and the elections of Islamunists like Mamdani, the city is filled with unknown Islamic threats.
From the Daily Wire:
Police in Newton Township, where Kayumi resides, said Sunday that they were working with the FBI on an investigation. His family’s 5,800-square-foot home is worth $2.25 million, the New York Post reported. His parents are reportedly from Afghanistan and were naturalized between 2004 and 2009.
The home of Balat in Middletown Township was also searched on Sunday. That 3,200-square-foot home is worth $653,000, the New York Post reported.
“The FBI, along with specialized federal teams, is conducting a court-authorized search warrant as part of a federal investigation related to an incident that occurred yesterday in New York City,” Middletown Township said. “There is no known threat to the public at this time, and this activity is not related to immigration enforcement.”
Balat is a high school senior in the Neshaminy School District, according to school officials. His parents are reportedly from Turkey and were naturalized in 2017.
Two men and a woman were taken into custody at Balat’s home after at least ten agents raided the residence, WPVI reported.
One of them traveled to Turkey multiple times
Balat traveled to Turkey multiple times in the past year, with his most recent trip occurring in January. He previously visited the county from May 6 to August 26 last year, according to the Daily Mail.
“FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the matter with our partners at NYPD as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York,” the FBI stated on Sunday. “Preliminary analysis confirms one of the devices ignited and deployed by the subjects was an IED explosive. Tests remain ongoing for other devices.”
