Two PA Men Indicted in ISIS-Inspired Bomb Plot at NYC Protest

Federal prosecutors in New York indicted two Pennsylvania men on Tuesday for attempting to detonate explosive devices at a protest outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence on March 7, in what authorities described as an ISIS-inspired attack. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, both U.S. citizens, face eight federal charges, including conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, and unlawful possession of destructive devices.

The incident occurred during an anti-Islam demonstration and a counterprotest near Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official home, amid the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. According to the indictment, Balat and Kayumi drove from Pennsylvania to Manhattan that morning, carrying two homemade devices containing the explosive TATP and shrapnel. Balat allegedly threw one into a crowd of protesters, while Kayumi handed the second to Balat, who dropped it near New York Police Department officers. Neither device exploded, and no one was injured, but officials said the bombs were capable of causing serious harm or death. Officers arrested the pair at the scene.