Investigators 'very close' in their pursuit of Boston bomber

Boston: In a potential breakthrough into the deadly twin bombings at the Boston Marathon, US investigators were "very close" in their pursuit of the bomber after footage from surveillance videos showed a man carrying and dropping a black bag believed to have held one of two bombs.

Investigators were "very close" in their pursuit of the bomber, the 'Boston Globe' on Wednesday quoted an unnamed official who briefed on the bombing investigation as saying. The official said the authorities have an image of a suspect carrying, and perhaps dropping, a black bag at the second bombing scene on the route of the marathon in the heart of the city on Monday.

Investigators say a surveillance camera located at a huge luxury store directly across the street from the location of the blast provides a clear video of the area. A second official who also briefed on the probe indicated that the image may have come from a cellphone.

The camera from the luxury store is the "best source of video so far," said Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Boston Mayor Thomas M Menino. Two bombs ripped through the crowds and runners at the Boston Marathon, killing three persons and injuring over 180.

As the investigation into the bombing entered its third day, conflicting reports emerged about the suspect being identified and arrested. The FBI and Boston police have denied media reports that an arrest in the case has been made and have cautioned the news media to be cautious in their coverage of the blasts.

Investigators have found a piece of lid of one of the pressure cookers believed to have been used as the explosive device on a rooftop near the blast. One of the two bombs that exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon is believed to have been hidden in a pressure cooker inside a backpack, the FBI said in a joint intelligence bulletin.

On Wednesday night, authorities confirmed the identity of the third victim, Boston University graduate student Lingzi Lu from China. 8-year-old Martin Richard and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell were also killed.

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