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VIDEO: AKAYED ULLAH, THE NEW YORK PORT AUTHORITY ATTACK SUSPECT 'INSPIRED BY IS'





Police in New York has taken a suspect into custody after an attempted terror attack at New York City's main bus terminal. Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, has said it was in retaliation for US attacks on so-called Islamic State.

Mr Ullah was injured and is reported to be in a serious condition in hospital after suffering burns when a "low-tech explosive device" attached to his body went off at the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan. Three others suffered minor wounds in the blast.

US media reported that Mr Ullah chose the location because of its Christmas posters and told investigators he had been "inspired by Christmas terror attacks in Europe", selecting the Port Authority bus terminal after seeing festive posters on the subway walls.

The Port Authority Bus Terminal, which serves more than 65 million people a year and is the biggest and busiest in the world, was temporarily shut down while subway stations in the area were evacuated.

Who is the suspect
CNN reported that Mr Ullah cited recent Israeli action in Gaza after rockets were fired at Israel on Friday and, according to the New York Times, his motivation for planning the attack was due to US air strikes on IS targets in Syria and elsewhere.

The New York Times has also reported that Mr Ullah's home in Brooklyn, NY is being searched while New York Mayor, De Blasio, said Mr Ullah is believed to have acted alone in Monday's attack.

The Bangladeshi government says he had no criminal record in the country before immigrating to the US on a family visa in 2011. He may have been recently working at an electrical company, according to the New York Post.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "This is New York. The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom.
"We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbour and that makes us an international target."

US President Donald Trump weighed in, saying, "[This attack] highlights the urgent need... to enact legislative reforms to protect the American people.
"America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country."

White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, stated beforehand that if Mr Trump's proposed immigration laws had been in place, "the attacker would have never been allowed to come into the country".

Photos have emerged online (see the gallery above) showing what is believed to be Mr Ullah, lying on the ground bleeding from his upper body, as well as others of him being treated on a stretcher before being taken to the hospital.

NYC police commissioner said, "Suspect has burns and wounds to his body".

Check out the video below for more.


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