Intelligence agencies see hand of Indian Mujahideen.
Terror struck Mumbai again when three serial blasts in crowded areas killed 18 people and injured 113. The blasts took place in Dadar (West), Zaveri Bazar and Opera House.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Aroop Patnaik said it was a terror strike. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister P Chidambaram to extend all possible help to the families of the dead and the injured.
The blasts took place two days after the fifth anniversary of the 2006 train blasts that killed 200 people and injured 700. Today, incidentally, is also the date of birth of Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 terror attack convict.
| TERROR ATTACKS IN MUMBAI SINCE 1993 |
| MARCH 12, 1993 Blasts at 13 places kill 257 people, injure 713 |
| DECEMBER 6, 2002 Twenty-five injured when a bomb explodes at Bombay Central railway station |
| JANUARY 27, 2003 Thirty hurt in a blast at a shopping complex outside Vile Parle station |
| MARCH 13, 2003 Eleven people killed and 65 injured in a blast in a ladies special train |
| AUGUST 25, 2003 Twin blasts at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazar kill 46 and injure over 160 |
| JULY 11, 2006 Seven blasts at 7 locations in local trains across Mumbai left 181 dead |
| NOVEMBER 26, 2008 164 killed in terror attacks |
The bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), were placed in cars and motorcycles. One target, the Panchratna building, a tower at Opera House, is a diamond trading hub. The second, Zaveri Bazar, is a bustling gems and jewellery market. At Dadar, the blast took place at the bus stop near Antonia D’Silva High School, close to the railway station. It is a popular market with narrow lanes.
Chavan called a meeting of senior ministers and officials. The state government has sounded an alert in Greater Mumbai. The Army has been on put on the standby. National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guards (NSG) teams have arrived in the city.
Senior officials of the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange said the stock markets would be open tomorrow. Zaveri Bazaar will also be open.
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Chidambaram called a high-level meeting with intelligence agencies. “This is a coordinated attack by terrorists and the death toll and the number of injured could rise. I urge the people of Mumbai and the country to maintain peace. A high alert has been sounded in Mumbai,” Chidambaram said after the meeting. The home ministry has decided to issue a statement every two hours.
Chidambaram said two teams of forensic experts from Delhi and Hyderabad were being sent to Mumbai. The post-blast team of NSG would also be sent to Mumbai to study the nature of the blast and the kind of explosives used.
“Mumbai is a hub of NSG and a team is on standby. The NIA team, which was in Mumbai to investigate some other case, has been asked to assist the Mumbai police. Another team of NIA led by an inspector general will leave for Mumbai shortly,” he said.
Apart from a high alert across the country, security agencies have sounded an alert in 14 cities that are considered to be on the list of terrorists. Senior home ministry officials said Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Surat were among the cities where a red alert had been sounded.
Indian intelligence agencies are convinced Indian Mujahideen is behind the blasts. There are several elements that tie this set of blasts to others that have taken place in 2008 and subsequently. Indian Mujahideen’s signature is use of explosives in cars, usually stolen, and cycles.
IM has been trained by the Lashkar e Tayyaba. But no one in India has so far used the P (Pakistan) word.
US President Barack Obama condemned the blasts as outrageous and offered support to bring the perpetrators of the “terrible crimes to justice”.