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.”