FBI hunts Afghan-born ‘terror cell’ suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, over New York AND New Jersey bombings
A MASSIVE manhunt is underway after CCTV footage showed an Afghan-born extremist planting the Manhattan pressure cooker bombs as the FBI warns of an "active terror cell" operating within New York and New Jersey.
Cops warn that Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, is armed and dangerous after five of his family were pulled over in a car and arrested on Sunday as they headed towards JFK Airport.
The naturalised US citizen, who lives in New Jersey and may be driving a 2003 Blue Honda Civic, was spotted planting the two bombs one of which exploded in the Chelsea district injuring 29 people on Saturday.
A homeland security official says the explosive devices in New York and New Jersey are linked after another bomb exploded near a train station in the city of Elizabeth, NJ.
New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo said the attacks “may be foreign related.”
Terror suspect Rahami reportedly left his mobile phone at the scene of the New York pressure cooker bomb explosion.
America has been rocked by eight bombs, three of which have exploded, over the last two days with the latest exploding near a station in Elizabeth, near Newark Airport.
That device was one of five and investigators are working to remove the other four devices as America remains on edge as five 'heavily armed' suspects were detained by the FBI in Brooklyn on Sunday.
Rahami and his father Mohammad Sr, 53, reportedly sued New Jersey police in 2011 for discriminating against them based on their religion.
The Muslim family own a chicken restaurant, called First American, which they claim was repeatedly shut down by cops.
The extremist alleged that local residents would racially abuse his relatives saying: “Muslims don't belong here.”
Officers raided the chicken shop on Monday after Rahami became the key suspect in the series of bomb attacks which have terrorised New York and New Jersey.
What we know so far:
- A pipe bomb exploded at a New Jersey fun run on Saturday morning - there were no injuries.
- A huge explosion caused by a pressure cooker device ripped through the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan, New York at 8:30 pm on Saturday injuring 29 people.
- A second pressure cooker device was later found four blocks away on West 27th Street and was removed by police. A note found with the device reportedly contained Arabic writing.
- Both Manhattan pressure cooker devices, filled with shrapnel, were similar to those used in Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. The Chelsea bomb exploded near one of the city's biggest gay communities.
- While authorities have yet to link the incidents, the devices in New York and at the New Jersey fun run used mobile phones as triggers.
- An unnamed law enforcement official told Fox News that the devices were from the “same person.”
- Five ‘heavily armed’ suspects, reportedly related to suspect Rahami, were detained by the FBI at around 9:30pm local time on Sunday after their vehicle was stopped in Brooklyn heading towards JFK Airport.
- A device exploded near a New Jersey train station at 12:30am local time on Monday morning as a bomb squad robot worked to defuse it. The bomb was one of five found in a bin.
- A SWAT team has swooped on a chicken restaurant in Elizabeth, NJ, on Monday which is owned by Rahami's family.
- Authorities admit 'active terror cell' could be operating within New York and New Jersey area.
- The FBI releases a wanted poster featuring 28-year-old suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami.
Mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey, Chris Bollwage said two men, who are reportedly homeless, called police and reported seeing wires and a pipe coming out of a package after finding it around 8:30 p.m local time on Sunday.
He said: "This was an explosive device. Based on the loudness, I think people could have been severely hurt or injured if they had been in the vicinity."
He later added that the FBI had searched other trash cans in the area and had not found any other devices.
One eye witness described the huge explosion as "thunderous."
The latest incident comes as authorities are questioning five people over an explosion, caused by a Boston Marathon-style pressure cooker bomb, which injured 29 people in New York at the weekend.
Both New York bombs were filled with shrapnel and were made with mobile phones, Christmas lights and explosive compound.
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo now admits there may be a "foreign connection" to the attacks.
The FBI pulled over a car in Brooklyn which was described by a spokesperson as a "vehicle of interest in the investigation" on Sunday night. All five passengers in the car are being questioned.
Police believe the men inside the vehicle were making their way to one of the city's airports and were reportedly 'heavily armed.'
An FBI Twitter account wrote: "We did a traffic stop of a vehicle of interest in the investigation. No one has been charged with any crime. The investigation is continuing."
As tensions reach boiling point, two 'suspicious' packages have been investigated and deemed safe after being discovered unattended in Broadway, New York and at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Two explosions ripped through the Manhattan's Chelsea district injuring 29 on Saturday night in an attack officials described as "obviously and act of terrorism".
The "homemade bomb" has not yet been linked to international terror groups such as ISIS.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said "a bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism" and vowed that those responsible would be found as 1,000 extra cops were drafted in to keep the city safe.
The "deafening" explosion ripped through New York's fashionable Chelsea neighbourhood at about 8.30pm on Saturday night in what officials have described as an "intentional act".
A second pressure cooker device was later found and removed by police.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said there does not appear to be an "international terrorism connection" but added it is "very, very early in the investigation".
In the immediate aftermath of the attack said there was "no evidence at this point of a terror connection" and no "credible and specific threat" to New York City.
Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York said: "Whoever placed these bombs, we will find, and they will be brought to justice.
"We will not allow these types of people and these types of threats to disrupt our life in New York.
"That's what they want to do. We're not going to let them do it. This is freedom, this is democracy, and we're not going to allow them to take that from us."
Both Mr de Blasio and Mr Cuomo, have said there is no evidence the blast was linked to a pipe bomb explosion at a charity run in neighbouring New Jersey just hours earlier.
However, an unnamed law enforcement official told Fox News that the pipe bomb, found at the New Jersey event, and the devices in New York were from the "same person."
Despite the devices both using mobile phones as triggers, Mr Cuomo today said the two explosions were caused by different kinds of devices.
The moment of the blast was caught by the CCTV of a nearby building
Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio and Chief of Department of the New York City Police Department James O'Neill held a joint press conference after the explosion
The Manhattan explosion ripped through West 23rd Street in the Chelsea area of Manhattan, close to the Flatiron building and Madison Square Park.
CCTV footage of the moment of the explosion shows panicked passers-by fleeing from the scene.
The second device, found in 27th Street and Sixth Avenue, was a pressure cooker with different coloured wires coming out it.
The device was wrapped in a plastic bag with what appears to be a cell phone or timer attached to it.
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Police have confirmed the device, which reportedly had a note attached to it, has been removed from the area using a robot.
The suspicious device has been taken to the NYPD gun range to be safely tested.
The New York Police Counterterrorism Bureau has shared an image on Twitter showing a damaged dustbin.
Unconfirmed reports have suggested the initial blast was caused by a homemade bomb, which exploded in the dustbin.
Following the senseless attacks, an online blogger claimed to be behind the bombs saying the attacks were in response to “LGBTQ+ oppression”. The user's twisted Tumblr post has since been deleted.
It has been confirmed that 29 people were taken to hospital with injuries - one with a serious puncture wound.
Most of the victims suffered cuts and other minor injuries from glass and other flying debris.
The explosion, was described by one neighbour as “deafening,” happened outside an Associated Blind Housing facility.
The facility provides housing, training and other services for the blind.
Multiple emergency vehicles, including ambulances, rushed to the scene.
Deborah Griffith, 60, was dining at a vegetarian restaurant on the block.
“People were running, holding their ears, rubbing their ears,” she said.
Emily Brookstein, 30, told the Mail Online: “I was eating at the restaurant Mira with my family and we heard a huge noise and the entire restaurant shook.
“My dad thought it was thunder but we obviously realised later that wasn't the case. We came out of the restaurant and could see smoke.”
Tsi Tsi Mallett was driving along 23rd Street at the time of the explosion.
She told the Daily Mail: “It was really loud, it hurt my eardrums. My 10-year-old boy was sat in the back seat of the car, and the explosion blew the back window out.”
Her son was not injured.
Police officers and medical services were seen pushing bystanders away from the area and diverting traffic.
In a bulletin the authorities warned anyone travelling in the vicinity to “expect extensive traffic delays and emergency personnel in the area” due to police activity.
“It was a quiet night, and then I heard this deafening boom,” said Jakir Aussin, who works at a Dunkin Donuts at 23rd and Sixth Avenue.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh god, a bomb,’ so I got down on the floor.”
He added “I looked outside and it’s all broken glass, car alarms going off — I still don’t know what happened.”
Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro said “victims have been transported to hospitals with abrasions” from the explosion but all injuries are not life-threatening.
It is understood an eight-year-old was among the injured.
Investigators have said they are reviewing footage showing a person standing close to the site of the incident.
Police dogs were sniffing bins throughout the area in the hours after the blast.
Mr de Blasio urged witnesses who took footage of the blast to send it to NYPD.
No link has been established between yesterday evening's blast and a pipe bomb explosion in neighbouring New Jersey hours earlier.
No one was injured in the blast in Seaside Park, which came shortly before thousands of runners were due to take part in a charity race.
A small bomb exploded along the route of the road race in aid of US marines and sailors, shortly before 3,000 runners were due to set off.
Pictures shared on social media showed a green plastic waste bin blown apart.
Police have since said there were further devices in the bin but not all detonated.
President Barack Obama is being briefed as the situation unfolds.
Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have both spoken since the blast.
Mrs Clinton said: “We need to do everything we can to support our first responders. We have to pray for the victims
“We have been in touch with authorities in New York City. And I will have more to say about it when we have more information.”
Mr Trump said: “A bomb went off in New York and no one knows what's going on. We've got to get very tough folks.”
Mr Cuomo has released a statement after the blast saying: “State officials are coordinating our response with federal and New York City authorities, and full State resources have been made available for this investigation.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and urge New Yorkers to, as always, remain calm and vigilant.”
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