Four hurt in NY terror blast

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NEW YORK, Dec 11, (AFP): A man detonated a pipe bomb strapped to his body in a crowded New York subway passageway during the morning rush hour Monday, injuring himself and three people — putting the city again on edge just six weeks after a deadly truck attack. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the bombing an “attempted terrorist attack,” and identified the 27-year-old suspect — who suffered serious injuries — as Akayed Ullah.

The blast took place in the subway station at the Port Authority bus terminal, not far from the city’s iconic Times Square, sparking commuter panic and travel disruptions. Subway trains were bypassing the Port Authority and Times Square stations as the investigation unfolded.

The bomber was in custody and sent to a hospital with burns and wounds on his body. The explosion rattled nerves in New York, which still bears the scars of the devastating Sept 11 attacks, as well as a truck attack on Oct 31 that left eight dead on a bike path.

“This is New York. The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters. “This was an attempted terrorist attack,” Mayor Bill de Blasio added.

“Thank god the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals.” New York police commissioner James O’Neill said the 27-year-old suspect had strapped the “improvised lowtech explosive device” to his body

He suffered burns to the hands and abdomen, as well as other injuries. The other three people injured suffered ringing in the ears, headaches and other minor complaints. Photos circulating on social media showed the man on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back and injuries to his torso. Former New York police chief Bill Bratton told MSNBC television that he had been told the suspect was originally from Bangladesh and may have been acting in the name of the Islamic State group.

Police quickly evacuated the Port Authority station and closed roads in the area, which were filled with police cars and ambulances with flashing lights. President Donald Trump was briefed on the explosion, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote on Twitter.

The city remains constantly on edge as a target of possible terror attacks, and is on high alert ahead of the holidays, which culminate every year with the giant New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, attended by hundreds of thousands of revelers.

On Oct 31, Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, drove a rented truck down a busy bike and pedestrian path, killing eight people and injuring 12. It was the first deadly terror attack in New York since 9/11, though several plots since then have been disrupted. Monday’s attack highlighted one of New York City’s greatest vulnerabilities — its underground transit system A bomb in a subway station “is in many ways one of our worst nightmares,” Cuomo said. “We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor, and that makes us an international target. We understand that,” he added.

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