FBI probes possible links among rash of U.S. bomb threats

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - The FBI said it was trying to determine if there is a connection among telephone bomb threats to facilities in 30 counties of Tennessee on Tuesday and similar recent incidents in other U.S. states.

Courthouses and public facilities in 30 Tennessee counties were temporarily evacuated on Tuesday following a rash of such calls.

Similar threats closed more than a dozen courthouses in Oregon last week and bomb threats were also made in Washington state and Nebraska. All affected facilities in Tennessee had been searched by late on Tuesday.

"There were no devices found," said Dayla Qualls, spokeswoman for the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

The threats were phoned to both urban and rural offices. In Memphis, police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said communications personnel received a call early on Tuesday from an unknown woman who said someone was going to blow up the Criminal Justice Center, the Federal Building and the main Post Office. All were evacuated.

"We are working with the other divisions of the FBI in the other affected states to make a determination if there is a connection," and if that is found the FBI will investigate any violations of federal law, said Joel Siskovic, spokesman for the FBI in Memphis.

(Editing by Greg McCune and Vicki Allen)