Washington, April 16 (IANS): The American media reacted with horror to the twin blasts at the Boston Marathon that once again brought the nation face to face with the threat of terrorism and showed "how vulnerable the US homeland still is".

"In Boston, explosions transform a scene of celebration into one of tragedy," said the Washington Post in an editorial noting, "In the weeks and months after the 2001 terrorist attacks, every iconic sports event became an occasion for anxiety."

"Over time, the trepidation faded - until Monday," it said. But "In the early moments after the blasts, there were indications of the nation's maturity, for better and worse, in dealing with such shocks."

"The simple joy of a 26.2-mile run was shattered on Monday," wrote the New York Times in an editorial titled "Bombs at the Marathon."

Calling a marathon as "the most unifying of sporting events," the influential daily expressed confidence "the marathon will be back next year, no matter how much security is required, and the crowds should yell twice as loudly."

"No act of terrorism is strong enough to shatter a tradition that belongs to American history," it said.

The Wall Street Journal in a similar vein said "Terror in Boston" was "A reminder of how vulnerable the US homeland still is."

"The Boston bombing is above all a reminder of the continuing need for heightened defences against terror threats," the Journal wrote.

"As the years since 9/11 without a successful homeland attack increased, the temptation was to forget how vulnerable the US is, and to conclude that the worst is over."

"Boston shows that the terror threat continues to be real, and that the price of even a peaceful marathon is constant vigilance," it concluded.