A bomb has exploded outside a fertility clinic in the United States, killing one person in what the FBI labelled a terror attack.
The blast, in Palm Springs in the US state of California, badly damaged the facility and broke windows and doors of other nearby buildings.
"Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism," Akil Davis, the head of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, told reporters near the site of the explosion.
"This is probably one of the largest bombing investigations that we've had in southern California," he added.
He confirmed that one person near the clinic at the time of blast had been killed and that four others were wounded.
Work is ongoing to identify the deceased, he added.
Asked whether the clinic was deliberately targeted, Mr Davis answered: "We believe so, yes."
Palm Springs mayor Ron deHarte had earlier said that investigators confirmed a bomb exploded in or near a vehicle outside the clinic.
Eyewitnesses told local media they had seen a body near the American Reproductive Centers clinic, with aerial footage of the scene showing the facility's roof had collapsed.
The burnt remnants of a vehicle were seen in a car park, some distance from the apparent epicentre of the explosion.
Debris was blown through the building and scattered across the road, while the roofs of a number of nearby buildings had been damaged, indicating the intense force of the blast.
Mr Davis described the explosion as "significant" and said debris had been thrown more than 180m from the scene, but declined to comment further on the characteristics of the bomb.
The local ABC affiliate, which cited an unnamed law enforcement source, said the person who died was a suspect in the blast.
Mr Davis told reporters that although the FBI is working to identify the deceased individual, "we are keeping that close hold in order to protect the integrity of the investigation".
A statement posted on social media by the clinic said no staff had been hurt and that its lab - "including all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials - remains fully secure and undamaged".
It said that "a vehicle exploded in the parking lot near our building".
Reproductive care, including abortion and fertility services, remains controversial in the United States, where some conservatives believe the procedures should be outlawed for religious reasons.
Violence against clinics providing such services is rare, but not unheard of.
US President Donald Trump's Attorney General Pam Bondi said federal agents were working to determine exactly what had happened.
I have been briefed on the explosion at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California that took place today. Federal agents are on the ground now responding alongside local law enforcement.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) May 17, 2025
We are working to learn more, but let me be clear: the Trump administration understands…
In a statement on social media, she said: "But let me be clear: the Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America. "Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable."
People living near the clinic reported feeling the shaking from the blast.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the explosion, his office said.
Matt Spencer, who lives in a nearby apartment complex, told the Palm Springs Post he ran outside as soon as he heard the blast and was confronted with the sight of the burnt car.
"I could see the back of the car still on fire and the rims, that was the only thing that distinguished it as a car," he said.
The Center for Reproductive Rights, a global advocacy group, described the bombing as "horrific" and "unconscionable".
"The history of violence against reproductive health centres is why clinics need protections and patients must feel safe," its president Nancy Northup said in a statement.
