BOSTON, Apr 16:
Home-grown terrorists may be behind the twin explosions that ripped through a cheering crowd at the finish line of the popular Boston Marathon, leaving three persons dead and 176 others wounded.
After yesterday’s blasts, the first large-scale bombing since the 9/11 terror attacks on the US soil in 2001, FBI and Homeland Security agents today carried out extensive searches here seeking clues to unravel the plot behind the explosions.
US President Barack Obama today described the blasts as “an act of terror” and vowed to bring to justice all those who were responsible for the heinous and cowardly act.
“This was a heinous and cowardly act. And given what we now know about what took place, the FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism. Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror,” Obama said.
FBI, which took over the probe, said there are no additional threats. FBI Agent in Charge Rick Deslauriers told reporters that federal agencies are “following up on a variety of leads” and talking to witnesses.
There are no “known threats” to the city, Deslauriers said. “This is a worldwide investigation. We will go where our investigation and leads take us. We will go to the ends of the earth and find those responsible for this despicable crime.”
Early today, investigators descended on a high-rise apartment building in Revere and conducted a search for nearly nine hours.
Boston Police Commissioners Ed Davis said that about 176 people have been injured in the blasts and 17 of them are in critical condition.
Seeking to put to rest concerns that more explosives have been found across the city following the blasts, officials said no other explosive devices have been found except for the two bombs that exploded at the venue of the Boston Marathon.
“It is important to clarify that only two explosive devices were found, those that exploded at the site of the marathon. There are no known imminent physical threats. I was not aware of any threat prior to the marathon,” he said.
FBI and other law enforcement agencies said they would not comment on whether the blasts were the handiwork of a domestic or foreign terrorist group. Officials also refused to comment on whether they have any suspect in custody.
President Obama said, “What we don’t yet know, however, is who carried out this attack or why, whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organisation, foreign or domestic, or was the act of a malevolent individual. That’s what we don’t yet know.”
Several mega cities in the US, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, have been put on alert after the attack, suspected to be the work of home-grown terrorists.
“The attack didn’t appear to have the signature of a coordinated al-Qaeda bombing,” a former counter-terrorism official was quoted as saying by the Washington Post.
“It’s not a military or particularly iconic target like Times Square or the New York subway. This could be someone with limited or no foreign connections,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Obama ordered that the national flag be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims that included an 8-year-old boy. At least eight of the patients are children.
FBI agent DesLauriers had earlier said the investigation into the blasts is an “ongoing and criminal investigation that is a potential terrorist investigation.”
Media reports quoted a law enforcement advisory as saying that investigators have warned police to be on the lookout for a “darker-skinned or black male” with a possible foreign accent in connection with the attack.
The man was seen with a black backpack and sweatshirt and was trying to get into a restricted area about five minutes before the first explosion near the finish line of the annual Boston Marathon yesterday afternoon, CNN said.
President Obama was briefed on the explosions by Homeland Security adviser Lisa Monaco. Obama said those responsible are yet to be identified, and cautioned that “people should not jump to conclusions before we have all the facts.”
The two blasts created chaos and havoc as runners and spectators scrambled to escape the venue. Blood and debris was strewn on the sidewalks near the finish line of the marathon.
The bomb was apparently placed in a garbage can and exploded just as the last of the nearly 27,000 marathoners were approaching the finish line.
The marathon is held annually on the Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April, a State holiday in Massachusetts.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the blasts have “brought terror to the city.” “This is a difficult time in the city’s history. We will get through this,” he told reporters.
Officials said there will be continued heightened police presence across the city as the investigation into the bombings continue. Davis said investigators were “processing the most complex crime scene” in Boston’s history.
Boston District Attorney Daniel Conley said the blasts are an “act of cowardice”.
“Terror cannot be explained, only answered,” he said. (PTI)
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