Telugu Portal : At least 30 killed near mosque in western India

At least 30 killed near mosque in western India

September 8, 2006

Mumbai/New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) At least 30 people were killed and some 190 injured when two or three bombs concealed on parked cycles went off near a mosque in the western Indian town of Malegaon when people were streaming out after Friday afternoon prayers.

The well-planned explosions in the Muslim-dominated town 300 km from Mumbbai, where terror attacks on trains only two months ago killed nearly 200 people, sent shock waves across India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed for peace and communal harmony.

It is the first time since urban terrorism began to take roots in this country that terrorists have targeted an area populated by Muslims, that too on a day of Shahe-e-Barat, when Muslims pray for the dead.

The bombs, placed near an old mosque, went off around 2 p.m. The loud bangs reverberated in the town, sparking panic and a made run for safety as the mostly male audience began to run. The resultant stampede killed many children who were playing near the steps leading to the mosque.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the bombings were aimed at creating communal disturbances. A senior government official told IANS: "This is a deliberate bid to create a Hindu-Muslim divide."

Those in the vicinity of the mosque rushed the injured and dying to hospitals on cycle carts and motor vehicles. As minutes rolled by, the more mature men took control of the situation, appealing for calm. Policemen and the fire brigade too joined the rescue efforts.

The condition of many of the injured was critical, said Inspector General of Police (Nashik) P.K. Jain.

"The blasts occurred near the Noorani mosque near the Bada Kabritan (cemetery) in the heart of Malegaon soon after Friday prayers. The first blast occurred at 1.50 p.m. followed by the second explosion after an interval of two minutes," Jain said.

A curfew was imposed in the town after the blasts. Maharashtra Police sounded a statewide alert even while mobile networks were jammed in the town to prevent spreading of rumours.

Malegaon is a town of around 800,000 people that is an important centre of handmade textile and is home to several madrassas, including some of the first ones to come up in India.

"A high alert has been sounded across the state as a precaution and the police have been deployed in all sensitive areas," said Maharashtra Director General of Police P.S. Pasricha.

"The cause of the blasts is not known. Senior police officials and a special team of the Mumbai police's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) have been rushed to Malegaon," Pasricha told IANS.

"The situation in Malegaon is tense but under control," he added.

In New Delhi, Home Secretary V.K. Duggal condemned it as a cowardly act and said the state government had been asked to speak to community leaders to maintain calm.

"Its highly condemnable," Duggal told reporters, adding "its too early" to blame any organisation for the blasts.

"Maharashtra is a sensitive state and we have sensitised the state government. The situation is tense but under control," he added.

Malegaon has had sectarian violence in the past. In May, police recovered a cache of explosives and automatic rifles from the region based on information they said was provided by an arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba militant.

"Whether any terror sleeper cells are involved in the blasts is being looked into. The region has become a hotbed for Islamist groups and is also very communally sensitive," a police official told IANS.

The blasts came days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that intelligence agencies had warned of more terrorist attacks across the country, possibly on economic and religious targets as well as on nuclear installations.

A series of seven blasts along Mumbai's train network on July 7 had claimed nearly 200 lives.

Manmohan Singh, who leaves for Brazil and Cuba Sunday, condemned the twin blasts and appealed for peace and communal harmony.

In a statement issued by his office, Manmohan Singh urged all citizens across the country to remain calm.

"The prime minister has been appraised by the home ministry and the chief minister of Maharashtra about the blasts. Investigations are on and relief and medical help is being provided to the injured," the statement said.