US Says Dismantled Telecoms Shutdown Threat During UN Summit

This handout image from the US Secret Service shows racks of dismantled communications devices that were part of an anonymous network in the New York region (Credit: AFP)

The US Secret Service said Tuesday it had dismantled a network of electronic devices that could have crashed New York's telecommunications network in an attack ahead of the UN General Assembly.

The protective agency did not say who was responsible for the sophisticated material but linked it to "nation-state" actors and "individuals that are known to federal law enforcement."