Home > Nation Ahmedabad blasts: 30 suspects held; terror e-mail traced to Mumbai
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, which is investigating the deadly blasts, has detained around 30 people in connection with the terror attack. Preliminary investigations suggest the use of ammonium nitrate in the blasts. The investigators are also looking at the possible use of cylinders.
Meanwhile, an e-mail sent to several media groups, just minutes before the serial blasts, by the Indian Mujahideen terror group has been traced to a flat in Navi Mumbai.
The police have raided the flat and seized computer hard disks. The owner of the house, Abhishek Sharma, is being interrogated.
The Union Home Ministry said the Indian Mujahideen group needs to be probed further as it is the same outfit which had sent a threat e-mail claiming responsibility for the Jaipur blasts.
The low-intensity blasts occurred at 16 crowded areas including market places in the Gujarat city in a span of 60 to 70 minutes. The first blast took place at Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s Maninagar constituency at 6:45 pm. Maninagar was rocked by a total of three blasts, while the other explosions took place at Isanpur, Narol Circle, Bapunagar, Hatkeshwar, Sarangpur Bridge, Sarkhej, Odhav, Sardar Patel Market, Civil Hospital, Juhapura, Ambur Tower building, Raipur and Gowribhadi.
Two of the 16 blasts went off inside the premises of the civil and LG hospitals where several victims of the explosions were rushed to.
“The blasts were of low intensity and similar to those which hit Bangalore,” Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal told reporters.
A nationwide terror alert has already been sounded. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has convened a high-level meeting at 11:00 am today to review the security situation in the country following the two successive serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Police sources said the bombs in Ahmedabad were planted on bicycles and in tiffin boxes.
CRPF, RAF and NSG have been deployed in sensitive areas of the city.
The blasts primarily took place in the eastern part of Ahmedabad, where upper middle class people reside.