NEW YORK—A crude pipe bomb strapped to a man inspired by Daesh went off Monday in a crowded subway corridor near Times Square, injuring the man, slightly wounding three others and snarling the rush-hour commute for hundreds of thousands of New York workers.Surveillance cameras captured the man walking casually through the crowded passageway when the bomb suddenly went off at 7:20 a.m. amid plume of white smoke, which cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and commuters fleeing in terror. Investigators said it was not clear if the bomb was set off intentionally or went off prematurely.“This was an attempted terrorist attack,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. “Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals.”The suspect, who was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, was being treated at a hospital for burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in the ears and headaches.Law enforcement officials said Ullah was inspired by Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group. The officials said he lives in Brooklyn and came to the U.S. from Bangladesh about seven years ago. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast.The explosion, which happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th avenues, triggered a massive emergency response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal.Everything around Times Square was shut down, halting what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour at the “Crossroads of the World.”Authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device attached to the man with Velcro and plastic ties. They were investigating how it was made.A photo published by the New York Post showed a bearded man crumpled o ...
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