Explosion of a Homemade Bomb in New York Subway Leaves Four Injured

A man who had strapped a homemade bomb to himself detonated the explosive in the busy New York subway near Times Square on Monday, December 20, injuring himself and three others. According to the Associated Press, the bomber and the three injured individuals, whose injuries are not life-threatening, are receiving treatment. The mayor and police of New York described the incident as 'an attempted terrorist attack.' The explosion occurred at 7:30 AM in a subway corridor beneath 42nd Street, causing smoke to fill the surrounding hallways, which were crowded with passengers early Monday morning. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, 'Thank God the attacker was unable to reach his main target.' The suspect has been identified as a 27-year-old man named Akayed Ullah. Security officials say he was apparently influenced by the 'Islamic State' group but had no direct ties to it. Officials stated that he resided in Brooklyn and is likely of Bangladeshi descent. They indicated that the homemade explosive device was very rudimentary and that the attacker had strapped it to himself with plastic tape. Investigations into the construction method of the explosive device are ongoing. A photo published by the New York Post shows a bearded man lying on the ground, apparently with his shirt torn and his head and chest covered in black smoke. A police officer has his hands restrained behind his back. The explosion prompted a large response from police and fire units, resulting in the suspension of part of subway traffic and bus services in a nearby terminal. A terminal employee stated that he did not hear the explosion: 'What we heard was the screams of people. You could hear people yelling to get out, get out.' A passenger at the bus terminal during the incident said he did not hear the explosion but witnessed the police response. 'I didn't know what was happening. Police officers were running in the area, and I was scared. Announcements were made over the loudspeakers telling people to grab their bags and leave the area. There was no panic; everything was generally orderly.' Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, tweeted that Donald Trump had been informed of the explosion.