9 serial blasts rock IT Capital Bangalore, 3 dead, several injured

BANGALORE: Terror struck the country's IT capital on Friday as seven near-simultaneous blasts rocked the southern city leaving 3 dead and several persons injured.

The crude bombs, concealed near refugee camps and roadside stuffed with nuts and bolts, exploded during the busy lunch hour at Adugodi, Madivala, Nayandahalli, Pantharapalya, Vittal Mallya Road and Mysore road.

A woman waiting at a bus stop in Madivala on the Bangalore-Hosur Road was killed in the blast, while her husband and another person were seriously injured.

The blasts took place between 1.30 pm and 1.45 pm. Four of the blasts were between Hosur Road and Madiwala; the other three at Nayandahalli, Vittal Mallya Road and Richmond Circle, City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said.

Except in two places, low intensity explosives were used for the blasts, which occurred within a few minutes of each other, he said.

Police have recovered gelatine sticks, mainly used in quarry operations, from one of the blast sites.

Sources in the Union Home Ministry said that the hand of local cadre of banned SIMI was suspected to be behind the blasts and the expertise in assembling the low intensity
devices possibly being provided by Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba.

Bidari said the blasts took place between 1.40 and 1.45 pm at Mysore Road, two places in Adugodi, R V College locality, Madivala, Richmond Circle and Pantharapalya.

On Vittal Mallya road, the explosion took place in a park. No one was injured in that blast, police said.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, while condemning the blasts, said "such incidents will not deter the government from pursuing its policy of dealing with terrorists in an resolute manner".

Karnataka Welfare Minister Shoba announced a solatium of Rs one lakh to the family of the deceased woman and said the government would bear the medical expenses of those
injured.

In 2005, terrorists had attacked the Indian Institute of Science complex and a Delhi IIT professor was killed and four persons injured in the firing.