A high-end Manhattan neighborhood near the mayor’s residence has been sealed off by the NYPD as part of an ongoing investigation into a suspected terror plot involving improvised explosive devices reminiscent of ISIS tactics.
According to two officials from the NYPD, this development is tied to the investigation of two explosive devices found during competing protests outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday.
“Due to ongoing police activity, please steer clear of East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street in Manhattan,” the NYPD announced on the social media platform X on Sunday.
The NYPD has urged residents to avoid the area of East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street in Manhattan because of the ongoing police operation. (Fox News)
Earlier on Sunday, city officials confirmed that one of the devices was an improvised explosive device (IED) and had the potential to cause “serious injury or death.” The investigation into a second device found at the scene is still underway.
Three federal law enforcement sources informed Fox News that a suspect allegedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” before hurling the IED into the crowd.
Police arrested Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi at the scene.
The devices thrown near Gracie Mansion were allegedly charged with TATP (triacetone triperoxide), retired NYPD inspector Fox News contributor Paul Mauro told Fox News Digital, citing multiple sources.
According to two NYPD sources, the activity is connected to the investigation into two devices that were recovered during dueling protests outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday. (Peter Gerber)
“[TATP] is a favorite of real terrorists, and not something two street-level knuckleheads would likely produce,” Mauro said. “This was no M-80 wrapped in nails and tape. It’s very hard to detect, very powerful, and extremely unstable.”
The NYPD Bomb Squad X-rayed the devices and rendered them safe. They are now being transported to Quantico for further analysis, Mauro said.
He also noted that a vehicle registered to a relative of one of the suspects was located in the Upper East Side area.
The incident unfolded Saturday morning near East End Avenue and East 87th Street, steps from Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
A man throws a handmade explosive at supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally to stop public Muslim prayer, in New York City, U.S., March 7, 2026. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
Mamdani condemned both the protest and the violence in a statement posted Sunday.
“Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are,” Mamdani wrote. “What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”
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