Confirmed IEDs at New York City Near Mayor’s Mansion Raise Concerns Over Domestic Terrorism Tied to Iran War

New York City’s Bomb Squad was dismantling another suspected improvised explosive device near the mayor’s mansion Sunday, one day after confirming that a container ignited and thrown at anti-Islam protesters outside Gracie Mansion was a homemade bomb that could have caused serious injury or damage had it actually detonated.The police reported late Sunday that it had identified a suspicious device in a vehicle parked on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street. “NYPD officers have frozen the area around the vehicle and are conducting limited evacuations of buildings in the vicinity while the Bomb Squad assesses and removes the device,” the police reported.As federal and local law enforcement take precautionary measures in response to potential threats to American interests following the American-Israeli bombing of Iran, police said they are holding two Muslim men — Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi — in custody after they were arrested at the protest outside the governor’s residence Saturday. The men allegedly lit a fuse and tossed sealed glass jars with nuts, bolts, and screws at a group of about 20 protesters — led by a former January 6, 2021, defendant, Jake Lang. NBC News reported that the case was being treated as terrorism because one of the suspects referenced ISIS during talks with police officers.“NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Sunday. The group outside the mansion was participating at an anti-Islam rally aimed specifically at New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim. In an X post on Sunday, Mr. Mamdani, slammed Mr. Lang as a “white supremacist” before saying the attack on the protesters was “even more disturbing.” “The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are,” said Mr. Mamdani, The statement elicited a rebuke from Mr. Lang. “Yesterday; 2 Muslim TERRORISTS threw a NAILBOMB at me during my protest. This was an attempted assassination Jihad. They screamed ALLAH AKBAR and tried to murder dozens of White Christians who were peacefully protesting the Islamification of NYC,” Mr. Lang posted on X. “Seems like you had stronger words of condemnation for me for being White … THEN THE MUSLIM TERRORIST WHO TRIED TO KILL DOZENS OF INNOCENT PROTESTORS AND POLICE.”Others also suggested that Mr. Mamdani was not taking the case seriously enough. “This was a clear cut terrorist attack. @nycmayor they are testing your Administration’s resolve. Whether you pass or fail this test depends on your resolve to protect this city,” wrote the city police’s Sergeant Benevolents Association.“This was a terrorist attack by people who promote hate on both sides. We could have lost many cops and civilians yesterday. You should have already taken charge within the first hour — not almost 24 hours later!”The day after America’s February 28 attack on Iran, the FBI’s director, Kash Patel, said that counterterrorism and intelligence teams would be put on high alert and all security assets needed would be mobilized. However, few statements have been made by America’s intelligence agencies on the potential threats facing the homeland. The National Counterterrorism Center and the Homeland Security Department have not issued any recent statements regarding potential attacks. The U.K.’s Daily Mail reports that the White House has prohibited agencies from warning law enforcement about rising threats tied to the actions against Iran over concerns it would be blamed for the increased insecurity. The White House denied that claim.But domestic terror remains a concern. At Austin, law enforcement officials are operating on the theory that a suspect killed following a shooting at a local club the day after America’s entry into the war was a terrorist. The suspect, a naturalized American of Senegalese origin, was wearing a t-shirt that said Property of Allah and an undershirt with the flag of Iran’s Islamic Republic. The FBI and other law enforcement officials on Sunday briefly shut down Kansas City International Airport in Missouri after receiving a bomb threat. Bomb squads conducted security sweeps and kept the property on lockdown for several hours as passengers were evacuated to the tarmac. Authorities temporarily issued a ground stop to all incoming and outgoing flights.On Sunday, Mr. Patel said the FBI and its law enforcement partners reviewed and determined that the threat at the Kansas City airport was not credible. However, the threat itself is still punishable.“Threats like these are a federal crime. FBI and law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible,” he said.At Oslo, the U.S. Embassy was also attacked over the weekend by an explosive device that shattered windows, but did not injure anyone. No one has been arrested and police say they have no suspects. The head of Oslo’s police joint unit for investigations and intelligence, Frode Larsen, said his investigators are working multiple theories.“Given the current security situation, it is natural to consider whether this was a targeted attack on the American Embassy. However, we have not committed to any single hypothesis,” he said in a statement.The Oslo attack prompted the nearby U.S. embassy in Stockholm to issue its own advisory to American citizens, telling them to exercise caution.

Confirmed IEDs at New York City Near Mayor’s Mansion Raise Concerns Over Domestic Terrorism Tied to Iran War

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