New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday there was still no indication that an explosion that injured 29 people in Manhattan on Saturday was linked to international terrorism, while investigators scoured the scene of the blast.
FBI investigators were to examine remnants of the bomb plus an unexploded device found four blocks away and another device that exploded about 80 miles (130 km) away in New Jersey on Saturday to see if they were connected, Cuomo said.
No international group had claimed responsibility “but it is very, very early in the investigation,” the state governor told reporters, reiterating what New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had said hours after the blast.
“A bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism, but it’s not linked to international terrorism. In other words, we find no ISIS connection, et cetera,” Cuomo said, referring to the Islamic State.
With world leaders due to arrive in the city ahead of the U.N. General assembly, some 1,000 additional state police and National Guard officers were being sent to the city to patrol transportation hubs as a precaution, Cuomo said.
Heads of state and government begin six days of speeches in New York on Tuesday, with some dignitaries arriving early for preliminary events.
A sweep of the neighborhood following the blast had turned up another device four blocks away consisting of a pressure cooker with wires attached to it and connected to a cell phone.
