Six blasts in 3 spots killed 20, injured 100 in DELHI

Six blasts in 3 spots kill 20, injure 100



NEW DELHI: Multiple bomb blasts ripped through the capital on Saturday evening, killing at least 20 people and injuring about 100. Its remarkable similarity with recent bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and Jaipur was yet again a slap on the faces of Indian investigators who claim to have busted the domestic face of terror.

A detailed and aggressive mail from the Indian Mujahideen, the faceless entity that has claimed responsibility for most of the recent blasts, landed in media houses minutes before the warm weekend turned gory in Delhi.

The mail clearly shows that Indian investigators have failed to track down this sophisticated network of local terrorists, even if they are part of the very same SIMI network. “There is no doubt that the Safadar Nagori faction of SIMI is behind this blast too,” a senior intelligence officer said within minutes of the blasts. He said they are taking a close look at the visit of Mufti Abu Basheer, a key suspect in the Ahmedabad blasts, in the last week of July to Delhi.

Across the capital, terror and panic began at 6.15pm, when the first of six bombs went off in the crowded Gaffar Market of Karol Bagh. At least 30 people were injured in the blast, and the show-windows of the famed electronics market, and windscreens of several cars were cracked and painted in blood.

Hundreds of shoppers, many injured, others in panic, ran amok in the crowded bazaar, and the police groped in the dark for almost 30 minutes to ascertain if it was a bomb.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, five other bombs went off, killing and injuring many more. As the injured were rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, fear was palpable of a possible bomb blast in its premises, a repeat of what happened in Ahmedabad. The police cordoned off the hospital for a long time.

The first of two blasts in Connaught Place took place in front of the metro station on Barakhamba Road. The bomb kept in a dustbin killed at least two people. A 12-year-old street hawker said he saw two men dump the bombs in the dustbin. A four-wheel cart near the dustbin selling bottled water and aerated drinks was damaged beyond recognition, and its owner seriously injured. In the crowded metro station down below, people said they heard a “deafening explosion.”

Within ten seconds of the first blast in Connaught Place, the second and third bombs went off in the central park of the market, a circular shopping complex built by the British. Most of the underground portion of the Central Park is occupied by India’s biggest metro station, Rajiv Chowk, while the rest is underground market Palika Bazaar.

In South Delhi’s posh Greater Kailash M-Block market, two blasts, within few minutes of each other, injured at least five people and shattered windowpanes of several shops. Here probably also lies credible inputs for investigators to track the bombers. The market has a very efficient CCTV network, and the bomb was planted right in front of a camera.

All the blasts had taken place within 45 minutes of the Gaffar Market blast. City police commissioner YS Dadwal said, the bombs were “all low intensity blasts set off from crude bombs filled with shrapnel. The blasts obviously targetted shopping areas considering it was a Saturday evening and markets are crowded on weekends.”

The tragedy could have been worse: Police and Army’s bomb disposal teams were able to recover four live bombs before they went off — one each from near India Gate and Children’s Park on the India Gate lawns, and two near the historic Regal cinema. In fact the Indian Mujahideen email speaks of nine blasts. As the bombs went off, the Capital city plunged into panic and pandemonium.

Police evacuated the Sarojini Nagar market within minutes, fearing the repeat of October 29, 2005, when the over 50 people were killed in a high intensity bomb blast there. The metro service was suspended, fearing further trouble. The Union government alerted all the states and Union territories to be on high alert. Especially on alert were metros such as Mumbai. The Prime Minister condemned the blasts and called for calm, while the BJP criticised the Prime Minister as a failure.

 

[rahul_parab2006]

'SIMI behind Delhi blasts'

NEW DELHI: Investigators believe that members of the same violence-preaching faction of SIMI — accused of the serial blasts in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Uttar Pradesh court premises and elsewhere — are behind the Delhi serial blasts. But the serial blasts have thrown up a clear fact: That Indian investigators, including the central intelligence agencies and various state polices are unable to match up to the technical and terrorist skill sets of the home grown terrorists.

Several dependable sources within the intelligence set up were adamant this evening that the Delhi blasts too were the handiwork of the violent SIMI faction led by Safdar Nagori, who along with several of his supporters are in police custody already. "We are almost"sure, there is no reason not to believe that they are behind the blasts," said a senior" official. He said they are looking at the meetings that Maulvi Abu Basheer, the
Islamic preacher from Azamgarh who was arrested in connection with Ahmedabad blasts, when he visited Delhi between July 22 and 24. Intelligence analysts also believe that the terror group has a strong base in Mumbai and surroundings. At least one of the analyst told DNA that the Maharashtra ATS and the state police "have to look at a"more studied means to crack the network". This time agai", the Indian Mujahideen email has been probably sent from an Internet connection in Mumbai.

A preliminary reading of the email too shows deep connections of its writer to Mumbai. The email talks in detail about the police actions in Muslim localities of Mumbai, and ATS is high among its targets.

What is most worrying to the intelligence sources is the fact that the blasts are a handiwork of locals, and that the polices and intelligence agencies have yet not fully figured out this network. "From the targets, and the"sophistication with which they have executed the attacks, it is very clear that they are locals. The question is how much of foreign support do they have?" said a senior intelligence official.

 

[rahul_parab2006]

Indian Mujahideen warns of terror attacks in Mumbai


NEW DELHI: The Indian Mujahideen, which has claimed the responsibility for the serial terror blasts in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Jaipur, killing at least 130 people in a span of four months, has now threatened to carry out attacks in India's financial capital - Mumbai.

Accusing Mumbai Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad of harassing Muslims, the Indian Mujahideen, believed to be a front strike unit of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), said in its email that it was closely watching the ATS.

"You should know that your acts are not at all left unnoticed; rather we are closely keeping an eye on you and just waiting for the proper time to execute your bloodshed. We are aware of your recent night raids at Ansarnagar, Mograpada in Andheri and the harassment and trouble you created there for the Muslims," the group said in the email.

In the email sent to various media houses on Saturday evening, when five synchronised explosions at popular markets and business hubs in New Delhi claimed 21 lives, the Indian Mujahideen went on to say:

"You threatened to murder them and your mischief went to such an extent that you even dared to abuse and insult Maulana Mahmood-ul-Hasan Qasmi and even misbehaved with the Muslim women and children there.

"If this is the degree to which your arrogance has reached, and if you think that by these stunts you can scare us, then let the Indian Mujahideen warn all the people of Mumbai that whatever deadly attacks you will face in future, the only responsible elements for it will be the Mumbai ATS and their guardians: Vilasrao Deshmukh and R.R. Patil.

"You are already on our hit-list and this time very very seriously."

The terror outfit also threatened to target a senior Rajasthan police official.

"Let us notify you, as we did to the Gujarat police that all the Mujahideen who shook Jaipur are absolutely safe and secure, and are heavily preparing for our next targets, one of which is A.K. Jain - the DIG (deputy inspector general) of Rajasthan.

Jain has been instrumental in arresting several SIMI members in Rajasthan in connection with the May 13 serial blasts in Jaipur.

The mail bears two signatures at the end, GuruAlhindi and Al-Arbi.

 

[rahul_parab2006]

Police claim to have found 'vital clues' about Delhi bombings


NEW DELHI: Security agencies ended a meeting at the Delhi Police headquarters here on Sunday as they pursued investigations into Saturday's deadly bombings that killed at least 20 people by official count. A police officer said they had "vital clues" and would crack the case soon.

The Delhi Police Special Cell, which battles terrorists, continued to lift forensic evidence at the five bombed sites in Connaught Place, Karol Bagh and Greater Kailash I, keeping them out of bounds for the public.

A senior officer said that Delhi Police had gathered "vital clues" and was confident it would track down the bombers, who are believed to be from the shadowy Islamist terror group Indian Mujahideen.

Investigators believe the attackers had packed the bombs with ammonium nitrate besides shrapnels and ball bearings for maximum impact. But while the bombs killed in Connaught Place and Karol Bagh, no one died in south Delhi's upmarket Greater Kailash-I's M Block Market.

Police sources said a rag picker boy who had seen two men dump a black polythene bag into a dustbin at Connaught Place, just before it exploded, had been taken to the police headquarters to learn more about the bombers.

A guard at the Regal cinema in the same area who caught a suspect was also being spoken to at the police headquarters.

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, Tajinder Khanna, presided over a meeting of security agencies including key officers from Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau.

Simultaneously, police teams searched hotels and guest houses in the Walled City and Karol Bagh areas in a desperate hunt for the elusive bombers who some believe could have been from outside Delhi.

"Our suspicion is about SIMI," an officer said, referring to the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India, which has been increasingly linked to terror attacks in Indian cities.

A team of policemen is expected to visit Gujarat to talk to Abu Bashir, who the Gujarat Police arrested after calling him the mastermind of the Ahmedabad blasts in July that killed 56 people.

The Indian capital was calm on Sunday. The major markets, however, attracted fewer people. Traffic on the city's roads was sparse.

Government officials said security had been beefed up in busy markets, cinema halls, hospitals and Metro stations.

A police source said that "seven or eight people" were detained on Saturday night.

The serial blasts that rocked Delhi caused mayhem in just 20 minutes.

Five minutes before the first bomb exploded, the Indian Mujahideen sent out email messages to media houses claiming responsibility and warning them about the impending disaster.

All three targeted sites - Connaught Place, Karol Bagh and Greater Kailash - are perennially crowded, particularly during weekends. The first two are also among the capital's leading trading hubs.

The maximum damage was inflicted on Karol Bagh, where at least 13 people died and more than 40 were injured.

The police also found and defused three bombs - two in Connaught Place and one near India Gate, a capital landmark whose expansive lawns serve as a popular evening retreat for families.

The Indian Mujahideen had also claimed responsibility for the July bombings in Ahmedabad. The group says it is avenging the "oppression" of Indian Muslims, particularly in Gujarat.

Delhi was last rocked by a terror attack in 2005 when multiple blasts in Sarojini Nagar and Paharganj markets killed 51 people on the eve of the Diwali festival.