Explosion rocks New York commuter hub, suspect arrested

A Bangladeshi man with a homemade bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion at a New York commuter hub during rush hour on Monday, wounding himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack. 

According to Reuters report, the suspect in the incident in the Times Square subway station near the Port Authority Bus Terminal was identified as Akayed Ullah, 27, the New York Police Department commissioner said. The suspect had burns and lacerations while three other people, including a police officer, sustained minor injuries. 

Ullah is from the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong and is a U.S. resident, said the country’s police chief. He had no criminal record there and last visited Bangladesh on Sept. 8, the chief said. 

Suspect

Ullah had a black cab/limousine driver’s license from 2012 to 2015, after which it expired, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission said. 

The White House said the attack underscored the need for U.S. immigration reforms. 

The weapon was based on a pipe bomb and attached to the suspect, police said. New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking at a news conference near the site of the explosion, described the device as “amateur-level.” 

 

Reuters