WASHINGTON (AP) — A bomb threat has been called in to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, forcing a building to be closed for three hours at the facility outside Washington.

A military official says someone phoned in a threat minutes before 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday, saying a bomb would detonate about an hour later in the center’s America building, which contains a group of clinics.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly release information about the incident.

He says the building was swept for explosives, and none was found, and that the building was reopened at 1 p.m.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Photo by