ISIS-Inspired Attack Foiled: The Story of Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi
Two teenagers, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, who live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, were arrested for attempting an ISIS-inspired attack by throwing explosive devices at a protest outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral home. The pair drove to Manhattan from Pennsylvania and were arrested after Balat threw two jars packed with explosive materials at protesters and law enforcement. Fortunately, the devices did not detonate, and no one was injured. Balat and Kayumi are facing federal charges, including attempting to provide support to the Islamic State.
Authorities have not detailed how the teenagers knew each other, but they grew up roughly 4 miles apart in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Kayumi lives in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and his parents emigrated from Afghanistan. He enrolled part-time at Bucks County Community College and graduated from Council Rock High School North. Kayumi was described as quiet and not someone who shied away from conversation, but he was sometimes a target of bullying.
Balat, on the other hand, grew up in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and is a senior at Neshaminy High School. He has been finishing his senior year remotely since September. Balat was known for selling designer sneakers at a markup and was described by a neighbor as a typical kid who helped shovel her driveway during a snowstorm. Balat purchased a fireworks fuse from Phantom Fireworks in Langhorne a few days before the incident in New York.
The two teenagers drove from Pennsylvania to New York City in a black Honda registered to one of Balat’s family members to carry out the attack. They were arrested after the failed attempt, and both are currently detained on federal charges. The incident has shocked their community and raised concerns about their motivations and backgrounds.