The RUC have established the no-warning bomb in Bishop Street in Derry this morning contained two kilos of explosive, which only partially exploded.
The Provisional IRA was accused of involvement by the DUP.
Nobody was hurt in the blast, close to the Courthouse, but it was the latest in a series of attacks in the city and neighbouring areas, heightening fears of more violence during the General Election campaign in Northern Ireland.
An RUC spokesman said a man wearing a hooded anorak and carrying a holdall was captured on CCTV coming from Bishop’s Gate and leaving the bag on the ground.
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The area was evacuated and the bomb exploded seven minutes later.
The dissident republican group, the Real IRA, has been blamed for orchestrating the campaign, but Unionists in Derry today claimed the Provisionals were directly involved as well.
Mr Gregory Campbell, of the DUP and a minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly, said: "Unionists in this area are making no distinction.
"Given the frequency of these attacks it would be impossible for the so-called dissidents to operate on this scale without the knowledge and support of the Provisional IRA. They are involved as well, and I have no doubt they were responsible for what happened in Derry today."
The blast caused little damage, a RUC spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a man was injured by a blast from a shotgun fired through the front door of a house at Rasharkin, County Antrim. He was hurt in the head and body, but not badly.
In Coleraine, pipe bombs were thrown at two homes. One failed to explode, but five minutes later a second went off after being pushed through the letter box.
No-one was hurt.
PA