Five Pipe Bombs Explode in Rural Mailboxes in Illinois, Iowa

Pipe bombs accompanied by anti-government propaganda exploded Friday in five mailboxes in rural parts of Illinois and Iowa, an attack authorities called domestic terrorism.

Five people were injured, none seriously.

A note found with the bombs said more “attention getters” were on the way. It was signed “someone who cares.”

The Postal Service suspended delivery through Saturday in the agricultural region that straddles the Mississippi River and urged residents not to remove any devices that they might find in their mailboxes.

“We are reviewing this as a domestic terrorism incident,” said James Bogner, an FBI spokesman. “We don’t know if all the devices have been found or [if] there are devices remaining. . . . We probably won’t know for a while.”

In all, eight devices were found and five exploded. The bombs were not sent by mail but were instead placed in the mailboxes and set to detonate when the boxes were opened, investigators said.

Postal Service Inspector Linda Jensen said consistencies in placement suggested the bombs were linked., but that did not mean just one person was involved.

Chicago FBI officials said its multi-agency Joint Terrorist Task Force would help in the investigation. Federal officials did not say how many investigators would be involved, although ATF Special Agent Thomas Ahern said his agency sent at least 10.

Bombs were found in Morrison, Mount Carroll and Elizabeth in Illinois, and in Asbury, Farley, Tipton, Anamosa and a farm outside Davenport in Iowa. The communities all can be reached within a day’s drive.

None of the injuries was considered life-threatening.