Angry about Israel: Failed Brooklyn-based Bangladeshi cab driver, 27, in a suicide vest causes rush hour panic when 'revenge' pipe bomb he learned to make on the internet explodes too early

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A Bangladeshi national in his 20s has been taken into custody with serious injuries after a pipe bomb he was carrying malfunctioned and exploded prematurely inside a Midtown Manhattan subway station Monday morning. 

Suspect Akayed Ullah, 27, was seriously injure in the 7:20am blast, and was rushed to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for burns and lacerations to his abdomen and hands. He is expected to survive. 

At the hospital, the Brooklyn resident told investigators that he was inspired to carry out the attack by the recent flare ups between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

Last week, President Trump sparked tensions between the Jewish Israelis and Muslim Palestinians when he officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a city they have long shared. 

Monday's attack was the first terror attack on U.S. soil since that proclamation, but only one of many violent demonstrations across the world over the controversial move. 

It was also the second time in two months that New York City was the target terrorist attack.  

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A suspect has been taken into custody after an explosion at the Port Authority subway station in New York City Monday morning

The suspect is seen on a stretcher after the failed terrorist attack 

The explosion happened around 7:20am, in an underground tunnel linking the Port Authority Bus Terminal to Times Square. 

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, took the A subway train to Port Authority, got off and was walking east towards Times Square when a 'low-tech' explosive attached to his body with Velcro and zip ties partially exploded. 

The crude device was made from a pipe, a 9-volt battery, matches and Christmass tree lights, senior law enforcement officials told NBC News. The chemical explosive appears to have ignited but the pipe itself did not burst. Screws were found at the scene, indicating that they may have filled the pipe and were intended to be used as shrapnel. 

Hero Port Authority Police Officers Jack Collins, Sean Gallagher and Anthony Manfredini have been identified as the cops who took Ullah into custody. They ran towards the explosion and witnessed Ullah, crumpled on the floor, trying to get to his cellphone. Many improvised explosive devices often use cellphones as the detonator. 

'The person on the floor was reaching for his cell phone. The officers at that point had to make a decision so no one else would be hurt and they decided at that point to take the person into custody,' Bobby Egbert, spokesman for the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, told 1010 WINS. 'There was a struggle with him, they had to keep him from reaching the cell phone, obviously they had no idea what he was going to do with the cell phone.'

After he was arrested, Ullah was rushed to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for serious burns and cuts to his abdomen and hands. 

Three other people were also injured in the blast for minor injuries like ringing in the ears and headaches. But they were able to talk themselves to local hospitals.   

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN that Ullah was 'disgruntled' and learned how to make the pipe bomb online. There are conflicting reports about where Ullah made the device. The New York Post say he constructed it a week ago at the electrical company where he worked, while a law enforcement source who spoke to the AP said he made it in his apartment. 

Law enforcement sources who spoke to Ullah at the hospital say he confessed to plotting the attack in retribution for recent actions by Israelis against Muslim Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, CNN reports. Tensions have flared up between the Israelis and Palestinians  - and other Muslims around the world - ever since Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital last week.  

Records show that Ullah moved to the U.S. from Chittagong, Bangladesh in February 2011 on a  F-4 visa, and is now a legal green-card owner. The FR-4 visa is a preferential visa for those who already have family in the U.S. He reportedly immigrated with his parents and three to four siblings. Ullah had recently visited his home country on September 8.White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in an afternoon press conference that the president is working to end such 'chain migration' in favor of merit-based immigration policies.

It's still unclear what exactly Ullah did for work in electronics. He previously had a taxi cab license, but let it expire in March 2015. While he doesn't have a criminal record - either in Bangladesh or the U.S. - Ullah has been cited several times for traffic violations. 

Investigators have yet to determine an official motivation for the failed attack, but there have been reports that Ullah was inspired by ISIS.  

Neighbors in Brooklyn say Ullah (left and right) did not appear to be married or have any kids 

The bomber is seen above lying on the ground in the transit tunnel seconds after badly burning himself by detonating his homemade pipe bomb

The bomber is pictured being stretchered into an ambulance by a scrum of police and firefighters

The suspect was taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan to be treated for burns and cuts to his abdomen and hands

Video from inside the tunnel purports to show the moment the explosion occurred (center) and the injured suspect (right) lying on the ground. He survived and was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a police escort shortly afterwards

Firefighters, police officers and FBI agents converged on the area of the attack near Times Square 

Port Authority remained entirely closed off on Monday morning at 9am. Above, the entrance at 8th Avenue and 41st Street

Armed NYPD officers at the scene on Monday morning await instruction after the suspect was taken away 

Pictured above is the ID photo the suspect was carrying around with him at the time 

Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Ullah was inspired by the group, but not in direct contact with them. The attack is being celebrated on pro-ISIS 'channels'.

So far, officials believe that Ullah carried out the attack as a 'lone wolf'. 

Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC's Morning Joe that the suspect 'supposedly was setting the device off in the name of ISIS' and that it was 'definitely a terrorist attack, definitely intended'. 

At a morning press conference, current NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said that the suspect 'did make statements' but that they are not going to comment on them yet. 

Though it's still early in the investigation, New York City officials say it was definitely an attempted terror attack. 

'This was an attempted terror attack and thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

CNN reports that it appears the Subway was not the intended target of the pipe bomb, and that it may have went off prematurely. 

They also learned that the device was homemade and could have caused catastrophic damage if it went off as intended. 

Commissioner O'Neill said that they have obtained CCTV footage of the attack, but they have not detailed yet what it shows. 

The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the largest in the country and the busiest in the world - serving about 225,000 commuters a day. 

It's what's known by law enforcement officials as a 'soft target' because it handles a lot of traffic but doesn't have the same kind of security as a place like an airport. 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said a bombing in the subway is 'one of our worst nightmares' - but he said New Yorkers will get through this as they have before on 9/11 and even the most recent terror attack on Halloween.

'This is the New York. The reality is we are the target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy and against freedom. We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor and that makes us an international target. 

'We understand that anyone can go on the internet and download garbage and vileness on how to put together an amateur-level explosive device and that is the reality that we live with. 

'The counter reality is that this is New York and we all pitch together and we are a savvy people and we keep our eyes open and that's what 'see something, say something' is all about. And we have the best law enforcement on the globe and we're all working together extraordinarily well,' Gov. Cuomo said. 

Above, an aerial view of the suspect's home on Monday morning in Flatlands, Brooklyn 

Police were seen speaking to residents at the home on the porch Monday morning 

Police are seen at another address connected to Ullah in the the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn 

Above another view of the Kensington apartment building connected to Ullah 

New York law enforcement officials have been carrying out multiple search warrants since the bombing this morning 

Law enforcement agents are seen again carrying out a search warrant at an undisclosed location in New York City on Monday

Following the attack, police descended on at least three addresses connected to Ullah in Brooklyn - one in Flatlands and two in Kensington. 

Ullah's mother, father and brother were seen being interviewed outside of the one of the addresses. 

Police had cordoned off the block of East 48th Street in Flatlands where the alleged terrorist had been living and the bomb squad were on the scene.

Alan Butrico, owner of Locksmith hardware store on Avenue N in Marine Park, told DailyMail.com that a Bangladeshi family lives at the home the police had cordoned off.

Butrico added to CNN that Ullah lived in the basement of the building next door to him while Ullah's brother and sister lived in the apartment above him. 

'He wasn't friendly at all. The family was very quiet themselves. They don't talk to nobody. They just stay there,' Butrico said. 

Burtico says that the last two nights, tenants told him that they heard 'screaming and yelling' coming from Ullah's home, but they did not call police. 

Ally Mohammed, who works in the deli across the street, described the family as 'very nice, hardworking people'. He said that the suspect's mother came into his store and was very pleasant and that his father owned a grocery store in the area.

Mohammed said that he believed the suspect lived with his brother, sister-in-law and their child, of around four years old. He said that he believed the brother had finished college and had a job in the city.

He said he did not believe Ullah was married or had any children.

'What he did has nothing to do with Islam, maybe he was brainwashed,' Mohammed said

Firefighters are seen at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue on Monday morning after an explosion in the Port Authority bus terminal transit tunnel 

An NYPD police officer stands in front of gathered firefighters outside the Port Authority terminal as commuters walk around them 

Panicked commuters piled on to escalators to get out of the station after the explosion which occurred just after 7:20am

An NYPD van parked outside the Port Authority entrance at 8th Avenue and 41st Street on Monday morning 

The scene near the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Monday morning as police and firefighters worked amongst commuters

An area of several blocks was in lockdown immediately after the incident, sparking commuter chaos and confusion among others trying to navigate the busy Manhattan streets 

An ambulance near the scene of the explosion on Monday morning. Four people were injured, including the suspect

Kisslyn Joseph, 19, from Grenada, has been staying next door to the suspect's home at her brother Kevin Alexander's house.

She told DailyMail.com that she heard shouting from what appeared to be an argument on the phone inside the home on Sunday morning around 2am. 

She said that the argument was in English but she was unable to hear what was being said.

Other neighbors also had negative memories of Ullah.

'He was just nasty. We would tell him to move the car, he felt like he owned it,' the owner of a hardware store who had previously fought with Ullah told CBS News. 

'I've seen him in the neighborhood walking around. Pretty much looks like he always has something on his mind. Never says hello, doesn't talk to anybody,' one woman said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the city's Mayor Bill De Blasio gave a press conference at around 9.30am to say there was no outstanding threat 

A fire fighter grabs equipment from his trunk at the scene of the explosion on Monday morning 

The subway at Port Authority was closed for several hours after the incident. The bus terminal has since reopened 

Not long after the explosion and despite a large police presence, tourists took photographs on 8th Avenue which was uncharacteristically free from traffic because of the incident

An armed officer stands at the corner of West 42nd Street between police vans and cars 

A street vendor tows their food cart away from the scene as foot fall decreases because of the attack 

A strong police presence remained at the scene in the hours after the incident. The Port Authority terminal was reopened at around 9.30am, two hours after the blast 

 Social worker Michael, 35, was commuting from New Jersey to Brooklyn when the chaos unfolded.

He said: 'There were people running from various angles and screaming that someone had a gun. People were saying 'just run, just go'. Everyone was looking around confused.

'After a few minutes I think I heard another person say there was an explosion and that's when people started to panic. There was a lot of chaotic shouting and screaming. I saw a guy spring past me and as people scattered the crowd began to hurry more and push through the doors.

'There are escalators that lead outside and steps and people were running up to get outside. We are talking 50 or 60 people. People were running over each other at one point. It became like a domino effect as everyone tried to run through the doors.

'We got out and I ran across the street to 41st. I could hear sirens going off and people were grabbing their phones and calling home. Everyone was quite panicked and shook up.'

He added: 'It's scary. I'm quite on edge now.'  

Dozens of fire fighters flocked to the explosion site. They were matched in numbers by NYPD officers 

Commuters were still rushing out of the station shortly after 8am. The explosion was reported at 7.20am 

The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the busiest in the world in terms of traffic. About 225,000 people use it daily  

Video from above the 'Crossroads of the World' showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving.

Everything around the Port Authority in the 42nd Street area was shut down while police investigated the bombing - a surreal scene of what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. 

A spokesman for the Port Authority say they plan to have the transit hub up and running fully by the evening rush hour. 

Mayor De Blasio said getting transportation up and running again was an important message to the failed terrorist. 

'We're not going to allow them to disrupt us. That is exactly what they what and that is exactly what they are not going to get,' he said.  

An armored police vehicle at the Port Authority bus terminal on Monday morning after the attack

The scene on Monday morning as NYPD officers and fire fighters continued to work at the scene 

Port Authority Police were also on hand in addition to NYPD officers. They ushered commuters out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal building 

Commuters marched out onto 8th Avenue shortly before 8am. They came off buses which were already on their way when the explosion occurred

While the suspect's motivation has not been established yet, his alleged statements about ISIS and Bangladeshi background suggest he was motivated by extreme religion. 

The attack also comes on the heels of a Muslim day of rage in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, last week where thousands of Muslims protested over President Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 

The decision - which breaks with decades of tradition in international policy - has drawn widespread criticism from Muslims and Christians around the world.

Previous presidents have refrained from such direct involvement in the Middle East's historic conflict but Trump proudly waded in. Moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was a campaign promise which he now boasts about fulfilling. 

The Bangladesh government condemned the attack in a statement issued Monday through their embassy in Washington, DC.

'Government of Bangladesh is committed to its declared policy of "Zero Tolerance" against terrorism, and condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms or manifestations anywhere in the world, including Monday morning's incident in New York City,' she said.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Monday morning that the president had been briefed on the situation. 

At an afternoon press conference, Sanders released a statement on behalf of the administration - saying this morning's incident is a further example of the need for tougher immigration policies. 

'This attack underscores the need for Congress to work with the President on immigration reforms that enhance our national security and public safety. We must protect our borders. We must ensure that individuals entering our country are not coming to do harm to our people and we must move to a merit-based system of immigration,' she said. 

She went on to say that President Trump has been fighting to end chain migration, which would have prevented an attack like this. 

'The President is certainly concerned that Congress, particularly Democrats, have failed to take action in some places where we feel we could have prevented this,' Sanders said. 'Specifically, the President's policy has called for an end to chain migration and if that had been in place, that would have prevented this individual from coming to the United States.'

Monday's explosion also comes a month after Sayfullo Saipov plowed through cyclists on the a cycle path in Tribeca.

The Uzbek national killed eight people in his rented Home Depot truck by mowing them down before crashing into a school bus. He injured another 12.

Saipov, 29, who was living in Paterson, New Jersey, was gunned down by a police officer and remains in custody. 

After the attack, the dollar lowered but stock markets recovered when the situation had been contained.

The S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq indexes rose 0.1 to 0.3 percent when the main U.S. stock markets opened two and a half hours later.

The dollar slipped as far as 113.245 yen against the Japanese currency. The Swiss franc, a refuge at times of heightened risk, reached a high of 1.16755 francs per euro. .

'We did see equities futures moving lower and it is not a surprise that we saw a move in crosses like dollar-yen,' said CIBC's head of currency strategy Jeremy Stretch. 'There is a susceptibility, whenever there is a degree of uncertainty, for the usual suspects to react.' 

The suspect is a Bangladeshi national who has been in the US for seven years, according to police sources. There were angry protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, last week over the president's decision to name Jerusalem the capital of Israel