Small explosion in time square

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Bicyclist sought in Times Square bombing - CNN.com


NEW YORK (CNN) -- Authorities are searching for a man on a bicycle as a possible suspect in the Thursday bombing at a military recruiting station in Times Square, an FBI spokesman said.

The blast, around 3:45 a.m., caused no injuries, officials said.

FBI spokesman Jim Margolin told CNN that authorities have a description of a possible suspect: a man wearing a hooded garment who was riding a bicycle near the recruiting station.

The FBI said the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force "is on scene working with" New York police.

"They will gather evidence, conduct interviews and begin the investigation. Anyone with information is requested to call the FBI or NYPD," an FBI spokesperson said.

After the incident, the Army sent an alert to the 1,650 Army recruiting stations across the country, said Douglas Smith of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

The blast is similar to two other incidents in New York, one in October and one in May 2005.

Both times an explosive device was detonated around 3 a.m.

In the October incident, a bomb was detonated near the Mexican consulate, shattering windows. At that time the authorities said the explosive device was similar to the ones used in a May 2005 blast at the British consulate.

In both cases, authorities were looking for a person spotted riding a bicycle in the area.

Police stopped several bicyclists for questioning Thursday morning near Times Square, but no one was detained, WABC-TV reported.

The recruiting office, whose neon lights help it blend in with the bright atmosphere of Times Square, sits on a triangular traffic island across the street from the Hard Rock Cafe.

Two witnesses, a man and a woman, told a local TV station they heard a "huge bang" from their hotel rooms, but there were no police or fire reports of serious damage or injuries.

"I was on the 44th floor and I heard it. I could feel it from up there," a woman told WABC-TV. Video Watch what witnesses say »

The office's front door and window were shattered by the explosion, and the door's metal frame was bent. A large television screen above the door was working intermittently.

Investigators from the New York police and fire departments as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sifted through the shattered glass by hand, placing small pieces of material into evidence bags.

Police and fire squads initially cordoned off part of an area around Times Square. Later, all vehicular traffic resumed in the area, but pedestrian traffic was restricted on 43rd and 44th streets, local media reported.

Subway service to Times Square was briefly halted but resumed in time for the morning rush hour.

The recruiting office, one of the nation's busiest, has been the site of periodic anti-war protests, The Associated Press reported.

"If it is something that's directed toward American troops, then it's something that's taken very seriously and is pretty unfortunate," Army Capt. Charlie Jaquillard, commander of Army recruiting in Manhattan, told AP
 
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