Device thrown outside Mamdani's house during protests identified as explosive

A device that was ignited and thrown outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's official residence during protests on Saturday (local time) was an improvised explosive that could have caused death or serious injury, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has confirmed.

The contraption, a jar packed with nuts, bolts and screws and wrapped in black tape with a fuse, was thrown by a counter-protester on Saturday (local time) outside Gracie Mansion, New York City's official mayoral residence.

The smoke-emitting device, however, extinguished on its own before any blast could take place, according to a statement from New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The true nature of the contraption was not clear to the police immediately and a preliminary analysis was subsequently carried out by the bomb squad.

"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," Tisch said in a statement posted on X on Sunday (local time).

The improvised explosive device (IED) was one of the two devices that were thrown during the protests, which were led by two opposing groups, according to NYPD. The second device was still being examined, Tisch said.

Two people were taken in custody for their alleged role in Saturday's confrontation, which unfolded during a "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City" event led by the far-right activist Jake Lang outside Gracie Mansion.

Lang's protest, which consisted of about 20 people, was opposed by a far larger group of counter-protesters, comprised of 125 people, who sought to chase "Nazis" out of New York, Tisch said at a press conference.

The duo arrested from the scene have been identified as Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi. Police said Balat ran after throwing the device and eventually lit and dropped a second one in the street.

Tisch said on Saturday there was no immediate indication the incident was related to the US's ongoing military campaign against Iran, but that authorities were still investigating.

In a statement on Sunday, Mamdani condemned Lang's protest but said the violence that followed it was more disturbing.

"Violence at a protest is never acceptable," he said. "The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are," Mamdani added.

- Ends

(With inputs from agencies)

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