Members of Congress, and the White House, strongly suggested on Monday that the deadly Boston Marathon explosions were acts of terrorism, the Associated Press reported.
"My understanding is that it's a terrorist incident," Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee said. She told reporters she had been in contact with U.S. intelligence agencies.
Senators Susan Collins and Angus King also said that based on initial press reports "multiple improvised explosive devices may have been involved at this high profile national event bear the hallmarks of a terrorist attack."
President Barack Obama's brief statement at the White House made no mention that this was an act of terror, but the White House later said that in fact the bombings were 'acts of terror.'
"We still do not know who did this or why, and people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice," President Obama said.
Two bombs exploded in the packed streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing two people and injuring more than 100 on Monday at about 3 p.m., authorities said.
The race is a signature event in Boston and has been run since 1897 on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April. Tens of thousands of spectators turn out each year to watch.
Early indications that likely a high-powered black powder pipe bomb, US News and World Report said, based on experts' analyses.
"Footage of the initial detonation of the blast showed an explosive plume that would align with a high-powered pipe bomb," said Fred Burton, a retired Diplomatic Security Service special agent who helped investigate the first World Trade Center bombing.
NBC News' terrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann said that authorities will likely examine residue from the blasts to determine their type.
"If this was a deliberate act, unfortunately it certainly would reflect something that we're seeing," Kohlmann said. "There's an emphasis on these soft targeted attacks now. We're moving away from the spectacular attacks and we're moving into the small grade, homegrown attacks."
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