The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly raided two ISIS-inspired suspects’ homes Sunday while alleging two improvised explosive devices (IED) were thrown during a clash outside the New York City mayor’s office.
Police apprehended six people Saturday after clashes during a protest outside Democratic New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office and kept two in custody, according to 6 ABC. Officers said at least one suspicious device was thrown when a counterprotester confronted the demonstration led by conservative influencer Jake Lang. FBI agents later searched the residences of Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, and Emir Balat, 18.
The teens told detectives that they watch ISIS videos, prompting officials to investigate the matter as a potential terrorist act, sources said. The FBI’s New York office said federal and New York Police Department (NYPD) investigators said two bombs allegedly deployed during the counterprotest were improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in a statement shared Sunday on X.
The NYPD said it discovered another suspicious device inside a vehicle on Sunday and is analyzing the device as part of the investigation, 6 ABC reported. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch alleged that the same suspect who threw the first device obtained the second from a companion but dropped the device without it seeming to ignite, KOMO News reported (RELATED: City International Airport Gets Bomb Threat)
FBI New York continues to be engaged with NYPD and all of our law enforcement partners actively investigating the two devices thrown outside Gracie Mansion yesterday afternoon. The FBI and NYPD confirmed the suspicious items to be improvised explosive devices (IEDs).…
— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) March 9, 2026
The FBI vowed to continue the investigation and called for the public’s support on X. “Additionally, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) will be conducting interviews, reviewing videos, collecting evidence, and chasing down all leads. Rest assured, the FBI, NYPD, NYSP, and all our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to ensure this city and its residents are safe. If you’d like to report any additional information related to this incident, call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at http://tips.fbi.gov,” the statement read.
Newtown resident Pamela Pulsinelli reacted to the raid in which a male was detained outside Kayumi’s home, according to 6 ABC.
“Nothing like this happens around here. So it’s pretty scary,” she said. “Coming out with his arms up and being handcuffed and put into the van. Insane.”
“That’s what scares me, to know that [the IEDs] could have been made right there in their home – a home across the street from our homes,” she added.
Two males and a female were apprehended at Balat’s residence, police said.
An NYPD spokesperson said no injuries were reported as a result of the incident, according to NBC News. Police said Saturday that Mamdani was at the residence at the time. He and his wife Rama Duwaji are safe, a spokesperson for the mayor said.
The incident occurred around 12:30 p. when a suspect “lit and threw an ignited device toward the protest area,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The device struck the crosswalk and observers “reported seeing flames and smoke as it traveled through the air,” she said. It allegedly hit a barrier and extinguished itself mere feet from police.
A spokesperson for the FBI’s New York office confirmed the devices were IEDs when contacted by the Daily Caller for comment.