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US Official: 'Pipe-Bomb Device' Used In Bloomington Mosque Explosion

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- A U.S. official has told CBS News that the explosive used in the Bloomington mosque attack was a pipe-bomb type device.

According to officials, the device used in the Saturday morning explosion at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center showed "more sophistication" than expected.

The incident prompted the FBI to take a lead role in the investigation. The bureau is currently looking for those responsible for the explosion.

The FBI Minneapolis Division released a statement Monday afternoon, saying they will "work hard to hold those responsible accountable." The FBI opened up a command center where more than a dozen people are working.

No one was injured in the explosion, which occurred before morning prayers at 5 a.m. However, the explosion damaged the imam's office.

Mohamed Omar, of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, told The Associated Press that his community, which is made up mostly of Somali immigrants, can't afford security cameras. He also said the mosque didn't receive any threats beforehand or claims of responsibility afterward.

On Monday, members were back in the mosque praying while others came by to drop off flowers where the bomb went off. Later in the evening, the Bloomington City Council and the mayor came together to condemn the attacks.

Not everyone is sharing support, and people online are making harsh remarks and pointing out that the mosque once had a connection with local terror suspects.

Community leaders say it is not fair to connect the incident to something that happened in the past.

The mosque opened in 2011 at the site of a former elementary school in the suburb of about 85,000 and serves people primarily from the area's large Somali community. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the U.S., roughly 57,000 people, according to the latest census figures.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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