The two homemade bombs that failed to detonate at a counter-protest against an anti-Islam demonstration in New York City on Saturday contained the deadly explosive TATP (triacetone triperoxide), aka “Mother of Satan,” that is favored by Islamist terrorists, according to reports. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has reportedly taken the lead in the investigation. (Previous TGP article.)
One bomb was thrown at an anti-Islam rally held at Gracie Mansion, official home to New York City’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, that was led by controversial J6er Jake Lang. One suspect reportedly yelled “Allahu akbar” when the bomb was thrown. The second bomb was dropped after being ignited by a fleeing suspect.
Neither of the bombs, which reportedly contained nuts and bolts, went off–saving countless lives. New York City police ran to the danger and secured the bombs. (A third suspected device is being investigated after being found several blocks away from Gracie Mansion on Sunday.)
Photo posted by NYPD.
Two men from Pennsylvania, Emir Bala, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested at the scene in connection to the attempted bombings. The New York Post reported the men are “self-radicalized” supporters of ISIS and confessed to the bombing. Both men reportedly had recently traveled to the Middle East.
Photo of two of the suspects in the attempted smoke bomb attack on conservative protesters in New York: https://t.co/HQYmiPcuIC pic.twitter.com/mpySFX09HL
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 8, 2026
New York Post excerpt:
The protesters busted for hurling an IED at Gracie Mansion trained with ISIS overseas and packed their bomb with “Mother of Satan” – an explosive long favored by international terrorists, sources said.
The two pro-Muslim fanatics – Ibraham Kayumi, 19, and Emir Balat, 18 – both self-radicalized in recent years and traveled to Turkey and other terror-training hot spots, law enforcement sources close to the case told The Post.
Balat spent more than three months in Istanbul last year, while Ibrahim flew to Istanbul and Saudi Arabia in 2024, and made a trip to Melbourne, Australia in 2019, they said.
Both admitted to cops after getting busted at a rowdy demonstration outside the mayor’s residence on Saturday that they also watch ISIS videos and tossed the bomb at right-wing agitators because they felt they insulted their religion, the sources said.
Excerpt from CBS News report:
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the devices consisted of a sports drink bottle filled or partially filled with explosive material set inside glass jars and surrounded by fragmentation, or nuts and bolts. The fuse was apparently connected to an M80-type firework.
Two sources told CBS News that the IEDs contained triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, a volatile explosive material. It is often synthesized from acetone and hydrogen peroxide, appearing as a white crystalline powder.
Another suspicious device was found Sunday in a vehicle on East End Ave. about three blocks south of the park where Gracie Mansion is located, the NYPD said, prompting “limited evacuations of buildings in the vicinity while the Bomb Squad assesses and removes the device.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has taken the lead and launched a terrorism investigation. Search warrants were expected to be executed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, sources told CBS News.
…Investigators are looking into the overseas travel for Balat and Kayumi. Balat left the U.S. for several months and traveled to Istanbul from May 6 to Aug. 26, 2025. Meanwhile, Kayumi traveled to Istanbul for several weeks in July and August 2024 and to Saudi Arabia in late March of that year.
A Fox News contributor, former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro, spoke about the implications of the use of TATP in a clip posted by Nick Sorter:
“This is the same substance used by major terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and ISIS, as well as in attacks like the 7/7 London bombings in 2005, kiIIing 56, and the Ariana Grande concert bombing, kiIIing 22.
“These are situations where you’re well into double figures of people killed—never mind injured. So this was a very, very serious attempt, much more serious, I would argue, than it likely seemed to many initially,” Mauro said
BREAKING: The bomb thrown at anti-Islam protestors in NYC was charged with TATP, an “ENORMOUSLY volatile” and “extremely powerful” substance, per @PaulDMauro
Thank the LORD it didn’t detonate
This is the same substance used by major terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda… pic.twitter.com/UeA9YGd4Zl
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 8, 2026
New York City police chief Jessica Tisch posted about the bombs earlier Sunday:
The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.
Further analysis will be conducted, including on a second device.
Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested on scene yesterday and are in custody in connection with this matter. The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force.
I want to again thank the brave members of the NYPD who ran towards the danger without hesitation and quickly apprehended the suspects.
The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or…
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) March 8, 2026
Saturday night Tisch praised officers for their response: “I always speak about the police running towards danger when everyone else runs away — that happened today. Officers ran towards a man carrying an ignited suspicious device. They put the safety of others above their own. Today, as always, I thank them for their noble service.”
I always speak about the police running towards danger when everyone else runs away — that happened today.
Officers ran towards a man carrying an ignited suspicious device. They put the safety of others above their own.
Today, as always, I thank them for their noble service. pic.twitter.com/r2NzlzKfnP
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) March 8, 2026
NYPD statement on the third suspicious device: “In connection with the ongoing investigation into the improvised explosive device deployed yesterday, the NYPD has identified a suspicious device in a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street. NYPD officers have frozen the area around the vehicle and are conducting limited evacuations of buildings in the vicinity while the Bomb Squad assesses and removes the device.”
In connection with the ongoing investigation into the improvised explosive device deployed yesterday, the NYPD has identified a suspicious device in a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street. NYPD officers have frozen the area around the vehicle and are… https://t.co/R9LAfVBNep
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 8, 2026
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