NEW YORK: A Bangladeshi man inspired by the Islamic State group set off a crude bomb strapped to his body in a crowded subway near Times Square, injuring himself, slightly wounding three others and sending New York commuters fleeing in terror. The cameras show the man walking casually through the crowded passage when the bomb went off amid a plume of smoke. When the smoke was cleared the man was seen sprawled on the ground. Investigators said it was not clear if he set the bomb off intentionally or prematurely.
The suspect, who was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, was being treated at a hospital for burns. The others suffer only minor injuries. Law enforcement officials said Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State group but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group and probably acted alone. The officials said the suspect who lives in Brooklyn came to the US from Bangladesh about seven years ago. A person told police that Ullah who came to the US on an F-4 visa himself made the bomb in his apartment. Investigators were searching his apartment, interviewing witnesses and relatives and looking for surveillance footage that may show his movements.
