IED blast damages restaurant near Las Vegas Strip, suspects on run

The explosion was discovered by a cleaning crew which arrived at the restaurant about eight hours after the attack and thereafter alerted the authorities, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.

According to police, the incident took place around 2am on Thursday when two suspects, dressed in black and one of them riding a scooter arrived at the restaurant. One of the suspects placed the “improvised explosive device” near the restaurant, police said, reported BBC.

The two suspects have not been publicly identified or located and the police are looking for them. During a press briefing on Thursday, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said suspects walked up to the front door of the restaurant and placed the IED device.

As the suspects placed the explosive device, the IED ignited and started burning a few minutes later before being detonated, which triggered some damage to the unoccupied building. 

The sheriff, during the press conference, stated that there remains no known or ongoing threat to the public, and that the community remains safe.

The restaurant is located near the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, which houses the city’s famed casinos and hotels.

The incident is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI and police department’s hazard team.