Port Authority Bomber Indicted On 6 Counts, Feds Say

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A man who attempted to set off a suicide bomb in a tunnel connecting the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Times Square subway stations was indicted by a federal grand jury Wedesnday, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Announced.

Akayed Ullah, 27, is facing a six-count indictment, federal officials announced. The native of Bangladesh was charged with providing material support to ISIS, using a weapon of mass destruction, bombing a place of public use, destruction and attempted destruction of property by means of fire or explosives, conducting a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system and using a destructive device during a crime of violence

"Less than one month ago, during the holiday rush hour, Akayed Ullah allegedly detonated a bomb in a major transit hub of New York City," U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement. "In selecting this time and place, Ullah’s alleged purpose in the Port Authority bombing was painfully clear: to inflict as much damage as possible, and to strike fear into the hearts of New Yorkers in the name of ISIS. Ullah’s alleged plot failed, and he is now charged with federal terrorism offenses and facing life behind bars."

On Dec. 11 Ullah set off a homemade pipe bomb in a tunnel underneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal, injuring fur people — including himself — and causing panic inside the busy transportation hub, federal officials said.

Ullah was heading from the Eighth Avenue subway platforms toward the Times Square station at Seventh Avenue around 7:20 a.m. when he set off the device, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said at the time.

The improvised explosive device that was detonated underneath Port Authority most resembled what's known as a "pipe bomb," federal investigators said in the indictment. Ullah gathered the bomb parts weeks before the attack and constructed the bomb in his home one week ago, federal officials said,. More bomb making components were found when investigators searched Ullah's Brooklyn home.

Ullah, of Flatlands, Brooklyn, was taken into custody at Bellevue Hospital Monday where he was treated for serious injuries including burns and wounds, officials said. From his hospital bed, Ullah told investigators he was inspired by ISIS, though officials do not believe he had any direct connection to the group, law enforcement sources said.

Ullah has been detained in federal custody since his arrest, the U.S. Attorney's office announced. He will arraigned in federal court on Thursday.

Read the full indictment below:

Photo from NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission)