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Boston Bombs:
16 Apr 2013 22:06:56
Probe on Boston Bomb Blasts Continue


Apr 16, 2013 (SLBO) - Two bombs exploded in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, just before 3 p.m., shattering a festive atmosphere several hours after the legendary race began on the city's 238th annual Patriots' Day, killing at least three people and injuring more than 130 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbs that raised alarms that terrorists might have struck again in the U.S.



An 8-year-old boy was among the dead and several runners and spectators suffered severe injuries, including severed limbs as the bombs sent shrapnel flying.



Reports quoted a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still unfolding said the attack was being treated as an act of terrorism. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama vowed that those responsible will "feel the full weight of justice."

As many as two unexploded bombs were also found near the end of the 26.2-mile course as part of what appeared to be a well-co-ordinated attack, but they were safely disarmed, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the continuing investigation, Media Reports from US noted.



The fiery twin blasts took place about 10 seconds and about 100 yards apart, knocking spectators and at least one runner off their feet, shattering windows and sending dense plumes of smoke rising over the street and through the fluttering national flags lining the route. Blood stained the pavement, and huge shards were missing from window panes as high as three stories.

'Worldwide Investigation'

On the sidelines the FBI and state and local police are intensifying their probe into Monday's bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, vowing a "worldwide investigation" and appealing to the public for tips and cellphone pictures that might yield clues about who was behind the horrific attack.



No suspects have been named, but new details are slowly emerging in the attack, which killed three and injured at least 176.

"This will be a worldwide investigation," Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Boston Field Office Richard DesLauriers had told reporters at a Tuesday morning news conference, adding that investigators will go "wherever the leads take us."

"We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the suspects responsible for this despicable crime," he had told reporters.

It remained unclear if the bombs were the work of a homegrown or foreign threat, but in Washington, both President Obama and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel called the attack terrorism. "Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror," Obama had said on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis had appealed to the public to come forward with any information or photographic evidence that might help authorities zero in on the killers.

Authorities had searched an apartment in the nearby Boston suburb of Revere as part of the investigation into the explosions. Media Reports quoted that a source close to the investigation confirms the man whose apartment was searched is considered a person of interest in the case. Some reports noted that he is the same person of interest that was confirmed earlier - who - authorities are guarding at a local hospital. However, the sources had stressed that the person of interest is not a suspect, and said he suffered serious injuries in the explosion.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban, which has threatened attacks in the United States because of its support for the Pakistani government, denied any role in the marathon bombings Tuesday.

The group is responsible for many of the suicide bombings and terror attacks that have wreaked havoc on this South Asian nation for years. It does, however, regard the U.S. as an enemy and helped train Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani American who confessed to engineering a botched bombing attempt in New York's Times Square in 2010.

Nearly 25,000 people, including runners from around the world, competed in Boston's celebrated 26.2-mile race, attracting huge throngs of onlookers, especially near the finish line.

Anyone with information on the bombings is being urged to call Boston authorities at 1-800-494-TIPS.

Boston Mayor's Hotline for families of victims: 617-635-4500
Boston Police line for witnesses who may have information: 800-494-8477