US prosecutors have brought federal charges against a Bangladeshi man, accusing him of using a weapon of mass destruction in yesterday's bombing of a Manhattan commuter hub.
Akayed Ullah, 27, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, bombing a public place, destruction of property by means of explosive and use of a destructive device.
Mr Ullah told police interviewers after the blast that "I did it for the Islamic State," according to court papers filed by federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors said he began the process of self-radicalisation in 2014 when he began viewing pro-IS materials online.
They also said he carried out his attack because he was angry over US policies in the Middle East.
New York officials also charged Mr Ullah with terrorism, accusing him of setting off a pipe bomb, as investigators in his home country questioned his wife.
Mr Ullah was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, supporting an act of terrorism, and making a terroristic threat under New York state law, the New York Police Department said.
The federal charges, which are expected to take precedence over the state charges, carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
President Trump speaking now in reaction to the #nycsubway bomber, an immigrant from Bangladesh - We're going to end the visa lottery system. We're going to end chain migration. @rtenews
— Caitriona Perry (@CaitrionaPerry) December 12, 2017
New York police say Mr Ullah set off a pipe bomb in an underground corridor of the subway system that connects Times Square to the Port Authority Bus Terminal at rush hour, injuring himself and three others.
Mr Ullah survived with burns and lacerations and was taken to hospital in police custody. The three bystanders sustained minor injuries.
On the morning of the attack, Mr Ullah posted on his Facebook page: "Trump you failed to protect your nation."
His passport, which was recovered from his home, had handwritten notes, including one that read, "O AMERICA, DIE INYOUR RAGE."
Investigators at the scene found a nine-volt battery inside his trouser pocket, as well as fragments from a metal pipe and the remnants of what appeared to be a Christmas tree light bulb attached to wires.
Mr Ullah told investigators he built the bomb at his Brooklyn home one week before the attack, filling the pipe with metal screws to maximise damage.
Meanwhile, New York city's Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counter Terrorism has said police will adjust security plans for the traditional New Year's Eve celebrations attended by hundreds of thousands of revelers in Times Square after the botched suicide bombing.
John Miller has said the New York Police Department will conduct both an immediate and an in-depth review of Monday's incident for lessons on how to deal with this type of attack.
"This is the first time I believe that we have seen an individual with a suicide bomb in mass transit and actually have that bomb function. So we're going to take a hard look at it," Miller told Reuters in an interview.
The New Year's security plan will also consider other attacks such as the Las Vegas sniper shooting in October that killed 58 people and wounded more than 500, Miller said.
