[WATCH] New York attack: Akayed Ullah 'inspired by IS'

The Bangladeshi suspect, who is being held after an attempted terror attack om NYC’s main bus terminus said that it was in retaliation for US attacked on the Islamic State, according to US media.

Akayed Ullah, 27, a Bangladeshi immigrant, was injured when a “low-tech explosive device” exploded at the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan, New York.

According to police, Ullah opted for that location because of Christmas posters he saw hung up.

Four people, including the suspect suffered wounds in the explosion, which occurred on Monday morning.

The most serious injuries were sustained by Ullah himself, as he is reported to be in critical condition in hospital, suffering from burns as the device, which was strapped to his body, exploded in an underpass at the busy terminal.

Authorities claimed that Ullah told investigators that he had been inspired by Christmas terror attacks in Europe, and selected the Port Authority bus terminal after seeing a number of festive posters on the subway walls.

CNN reported that Ullah also cited Israeli action in Gaza, after rockets were fired at Israel on Friday.

Who is Akayed Ullah?

Ullah emigrated to the US on a family visa in 2011, from the Chittagong area of Bangladesh. According to the Bangladeshi government, he had no criminal record in the country, which he last visited in September.

Ullah’s home in the New York City of Brooklyn is being searched and he may have recently been working at an electrical company, according to the New York Post.

He is believed to have acted alone, said mayor of New York Bill de Blasio.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo said: “This is New York. The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom.

“We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor and that makes us an international target,” he said.

US president Donald Trump said that Monday’s attack, which followed a terror attack in Manhattan in October that killed eight, “highlights the urgent need… to enact legislative reforms to protect the American people.”

“America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country,” added Trump.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders earlier said that if Trump’s proposed immigration crackdown was already in place, “the attacker would never have been allowed to come into the country.”

(Photo: RT)

The explosion

The explosion took place at around 7:30am (local time).

According to eyewitness Andre Rodriguez: “I was going through the turnstile. It sounded like an explosion, and everybody started running.”

Nearby subway stations were evacuated and the Port Authority Bus Terminal temporarily shut.

It is the largest and busiest bus terminal in the world, serving over 65 million people per year.