NYPD Commissioner Confirms ISIS-Inspired Terrorism Plot Against NYC Mayor
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced on Monday that the throwing of two improvised explosive devices outside the residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been officially classified as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism. The incident occurred on Saturday, March 8, 2026, during an anti-Islam protest organized by right-wing agitators outside Gracie Mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Arrests Made and Explosive Details Revealed
Commissioner Tisch, speaking at a press conference in Manhattan alongside Mayor Mamdani, confirmed that two men from Pennsylvania were arrested at the scene. Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, and Emir Balat, 18, have been identified as the alleged perpetrators who threw the devices containing triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile homemade explosive notoriously nicknamed "mother of Satan."
"These were not hoax devices, nor smoke bombs," Tisch emphasized. "They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death." Fortunately, neither device detonated, and the NYPD bomb squad successfully rendered them safe. A third suspected device was discovered in a 2010 Honda linked to the suspects, though it tested negative for explosives.
Mayor Mamdani Responds to Attack
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, stated that the suspects had "traveled from Pennsylvania and attempted to bring violence to New York City." He praised the swift actions of NYPD officers that led to the arrests and safe removal of the devices. "New York City will never tolerate violence, whether from protests or counter-protests," Mamdani declared.
The protest, organized by far-right influencer Jake Lang under the banner "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City," drew approximately twenty participants and dozens of counter-protesters. While most counter-protesters demonstrated peacefully, the incident escalated with violent skirmishes, egg-throwing, and at least one pepper-spray attack, resulting in six total arrests.
Investigation and Broader Security Context
Commissioner Tisch revealed that the investigation remains in its preliminary stages, with a federal criminal complaint expected to be filed against Kayumi and Balat. She confirmed there is no current evidence linking the plot to ongoing U.S. and Israeli military strikes in Iran, despite the NYPD being on heightened alert since February 28. Additionally, no threats were found on the suspects' social media prior to the attack.
Tisch noted that this marks the first use of an improvised explosive device in New York City since the 2017 Manhattan subway terrorist attack, which injured four people. "We were fortunate that the devices used this weekend did not cause the kind of harm that they were certainly capable of causing," she said. "But luck is never a strategy. Devices like these have the potential to cause devastating harm."
The NYPD continues to treat the incident with utmost urgency, underscoring the city's commitment to counter-terrorism vigilance and public safety in the face of extremist threats.
