A man has been arrested after authorities said he was planning to shoot up people and detonate explosive devices in New York’s Time Square.
22-year-old Ashiqul Alam – who lived with his parents in Jackson Heights – wanted to buy guns, ammunition, and grenades to use in an attack on Times Square to kill police officers and civilians.
Ashiqul Alam was taken into custody by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes both the NYPD and FBI.
Ashiqul Alam:
Police say he was working alone and got on law enforcement’s radar after searching for explosives. Authorities then set up a sting operation.
Ashiqul Alam was arrested while purchasing what he believed to be explosives from officers with the JTTF.
Alam was taken into custody and is expected to be arraigned in federal court Friday afternoon in Brooklyn.
Authorities say there’s no indication Alam was part of a larger plot and it looks like a “lone wolf” situation.
It’s not the first time Times Square has been a target for terrorists.
Faisal Shahzad is currently serving life in prison for his failed 2010 attempt to set off a car bomb in Times Square. And last year, a Canadian man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for plotting attacks on the square and subways in 2016.
HELP US STAY ONLINE:
If you enjoy the hard work we put in here at Milne News, a donation of any amount will help us continue the great work we do and stay online. Any donation is greatly appreciated:
Thank you for your support.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox for free every day by signing up below.
[email-subscribers namefield=”YES” desc=”” group=”Public”]
