|
NEW DELHI, July 26 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - At least four bombs exploded in Ahmedabad on Saturday, killing at least one person, just a day after another set of coordinated blasts in the country's southern IT hub, police said. A local member of parliament, said there were between 20 and 30 injured people at a hospital in the city.
On Friday, eight bombs exploded in quick succession in Bangalore, killing at least one person and wounding six others.
Saturday's blasts were in the Ahmedabad's crowded old city dominated by its Muslim community. One was left in a metal tiffin box, used to carry food.
"According to information so far, there have been four to five blasts," said a duty officer at the police control room in Ahmedabad, who is not authorised to give his name. "We have heard one person is dead."
Local television channels showed one bus with its side blown up, shattered windows and the roof half-destroyed.
So far, police say they have few leads into Friday's Bangalore bombings.
On Saturday, another unexploded bomb was found near a shopping mall in Bangalore, but it was unclear whether the bomb was newly planted or meant to have exploded during Friday's attacks, police said.
"Special squads have been formed to find out who is behind the blasts. We have not got any conclusive leads yet," Bangalore's Additional Commissioner of Police M.R. Pujar told Reuters on Saturday.
India has suffered a wave of bombings in recent years, with targets ranging from mosques and Hindu temples to trains. It is unusual for any group to claim responsibility for attacks.
India's home ministry said on Friday it suspected "a small militant group" was behind the attacks, but gave no details.
Some major IT companies in Bangalore, known as India's Silicon Valley, said they were increasing security at their offices after the eight low intensity bombs went off. Each bomb had a similar explosive force to one or two grenades.
The city is one of the world's most prominent centres for software development and is also home to a major outsourcing industry.
"We have increased security in our campus," said a spokeswoman for Infosys, one of India's leading software companies.
Also nicknamed the "world's back office", Bangalore has more than 1,500 top firms, including Infosys, Wipro and the offices of global firms such as Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp.
"If such incidents continue, investors will fly away from the city," said state opposition politician Mallikharjuna Kharge, who called for improved security in the city.
Some police officials said they suspected the blasts could be the work of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India.
"It is a prime suspect, but it is too early to come to any conclusion. All angles are being looked into," said a police official who did not want to be named.
Police said Friday's explosions were similar to a blast at a courthouse in Hubli, a city near Bangalore. Suspected Muslim militants there are being tried on charges of planning attacks in Karnataka, the state where Bangalore is located. No one was wounded in that blast.
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said the blasts were a conspiracy to defame his Hindu nationalist government.
"We will not tolerate any attempt to spoil the reputation of the city" he said.
Islamist militant groups in Pakistan and Bangladesh have been often blamed for previous attacks in India with the aim of fanning hatred between Muslims and Hindus and damaging a fragile peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad.
In May, eight bombs, many strapped to bicycles, ripped through a crowded shopping area in Jaipur, killing at least 63 people and injuring hundreds more.
Police said that attack bore some hallmarks of the Bangladeshi militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad al Islami.
|
News 
RSS