Palm Springs — A bomb exploded on Saturday outside a California fertility clinic, killing one person in what the FBI labelled a terror attack.

The blast tore through downtown Palm Springs, ripping a hole in the clinic and blowing out the windows and doors of nearby buildings, an AFP journalist on the scene reported.

“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 fatal 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 was ongoing to identify the deceased, he added.

Asked whether the clinic was deliberately targeted, Davis answered: “We believe so, yes.”

The city’s mayor, Ron deHarte had earlier told AFP that investigators confirmed a bomb exploded in or near a vehicle outside the clinic.