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NYC Police Capture Bomb Suspect After Subway Explosion Near Times Square

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New York City police say a man named Akayed Ullah strapped a pipe bomb to his body and set off the crude device in the subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring the suspect and three other people at the height of the morning rush hour.

Ullah and three others were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries in what the mayor and NYPD labeled an attempted terror attack.

Authorities said the man, who is in police custody, was carrying a pipe bomb with a battery back. He and the others were injured when the bomb went off.

CBN News has confirmed Ullah is a 27-year-old Bangladeshi national who has been living in the U.S. for seven years. 

CBN News National Security Correspondent Erik Rosales said the suspect is now in custody.

"The explosion did occur at 42nd and 8th street on a subway platform. This is a platform that is very, very busy with people right now with rush hour going on," said Rosales. 

"Apparently he had pipe bombs that were strapped onto him so this was some sort of a suicide vest that may have gone off prematurely. He may have been wanting to get inside of the subway when the explosion took place," he said.

Rosales said, sources tell him Ullah was working as a taxi driver and was inspired by ISIS.

The suspect is in serious condition at Bellevue Hospital.

At a press conference, officials said the man suffered burns to his hands and abdomen

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Two of the victims suffered ringing in the ears and headaches.

"Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates this male was wearing an improvised, low-tech explosive device attached to his body," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said at a news conference after the Monday morning incident in a subway passageway near the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

"He did make statements but we're not going to talk about that right now," O'Neill added, but declined to provide further details. Multiple law enforcement sources told NBC News it was an ISIS-inspired attack.

Authorities said it was unclear if the man planned for the device to explode where it did or if he had another target.

Officials are now concerned about the possibility of more attacks.

One month ago, New York City was struck by a pro-ISIS terrorist who killed eight people and wounded 12 others by driving over them while they were on a bike path near the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, officials said the suspect has made statements, but they would not disclose that information.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says the president has been briefed on the situation.

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About The Author

Heather
Sells

Heather Sells covers wide-ranging stories for CBN News that include religious liberty, ministry trends, immigration, and education. She’s known for telling personal stories that capture the issues of the day, from the border sheriff who rescues migrants in the desert to the parents struggling with a child that identifies as transgender. In the last year, she has reported on immigration at the Texas border, from Washington, D.C., in advance of the Dobbs abortion case, at crisis pregnancy centers in Massachusetts, and on sexual abuse reform at the annual Southern Baptist meeting in Anaheim