Boston Marathon bombs were triggered by remotes taken from TOYS

Homemade pressure cooker bombs were triggered by a device used in remote control toys

The bombs went off within seconds of each other at the Boston Marathon on April 15, killing three and injuring more than 250 others



The homemade pressure cooker bombs used in the deadly Boston Marathon explosions were triggered by a remote detonator of the kind used in remote-control toys, U.S. officials have revealed.

The officials said investigators found pieces of the remote-control equipment among the debris and were analyzing them.

Both U.S. officials are close to the ongoing investigation but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Scene of the crime: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, left, and his brother Tamerlan, right, pictured at the Boston Marathon, used a remote detonator to set off two pressure cooker bombs they had planted near the finish line of the race

Terror attack: The detonator has been described as 'close-controlled' - meaning it had to be triggered within several blocks of the devices



One official described the detonator as 'close-controlled' - meaning it had to be triggered within several blocks of the bombs.

Three people were killed and more than 250 others were injured when the bombs went off within seconds of each other near the finish line of the April 15 race.

A criminal complaint outlining federal charges against the surviving bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, described him as holding a cellphone in his hand minutes before the first explosion.

Two officials on Wednesday said the bombs were not very sophisticated.



Caught on tape: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is seen on a store security camera just before the shootout with police that resulted in his brother Tamerlan's death

Kitchen bomb: The pressure cooker bomb is known as a 'highly effective' weapon of al Qaeda

It was originally believed that the devices had been detonated by cell phones carried by the suspects.



A criminal complaint outlining federal charges against the surviving bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, described him as holding a cellphone in his hand minutes before the first explosion.

Cellphones have been used to trigger bombings in war zones.

His brother Tamerlan was an ardent reader of jihadist websites and extremist propaganda, including Inspire magazine, an online publication produced by al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate.

The English-language magazine is dedicated to spreading the terror group's message, and even includes instructions on how to construct explosive devices.

Fear: The explosions caused a panic in the city of Boston that had not been seen on U.S. soil since the 9/11 attacks



In the Summer of 2010, an infamous article entitled 'Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom' listed a pressure cooker bomb as the 'most effective weapon.'

Another Inspire article has insisted that a good time to 'inflict maximum human losses' is during a sporting event.