One of the suspicious devices exploded as a bomb squad was attempting to disarm it with a robot.
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“We choose resolve, not fear. we are stronger together in the face of this threat”, she said, also noting the importance of building trust between law enforcement and Muslim American communities.
It is still unclear if the explosive device that was found had any connection to the bomb that went off and injured 29 people on Saturday night in Chelsea.
An explosion occurred Saturday in Seaside Heights, N.J., followed by one in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan. There were no reports of injuries, as the area had already been on lockdown while police investigated multiple devices found in a backpack.
Bomb squad personnel stand around the scene of an explosion near the train station on Monday.
Bollwage said it was unclear whether Elizabeth, a city with a population of almost 130,000 people that is less than 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Manhattan, was specifically targeted or if the backpack might have been discarded to elude investigators.
NJ Transit services were suspended between Newark Liberty Airport and Elizabeth, and Amtrak trains to New Jersey were being held at New York Penn Station. The pair walked briefly but dropped the package and notified police when they saw wires and pipes, Bollwage added.
The explosions came days before world leaders prepared to gather at the United Nations in NY for the annual General Assembly.
Authorities found the pipe bombs in backpacks and successfully disarmed four of the five. Amtrak said 2,400 passengers were affected and trains were being brought in to other stations for people to get other transportation. The incident unfolded after two men found the backpack in a waste basket on North Broad Street and Julian Place around 9:30 p.m., the mayor said.
NEC and NJCL service remains suspended between EWR and Elizabeth due to police activity near Elizabeth. The incidents, which remain unknown if they are connected, are being investigated as acts of terrorism.
Law enforcement sources said five people in the auto were being questioned at an Federal Bureau of Investigation building in the city.
Bollwage said the men found the backpack in a garbage can on Sunday night near the midtown Elizabeth train station, and took it because the thought there was something of value inside.
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The recent events have also led to an increased precautionary police presence surrounding NJ Transit’s New Brunswick train station this morning after a suspicious package was found on top of the Douglas Parking Deck on the Rutgers New Brunswick campus.
