Terror in India, Bombs Kill Scores

(Mumbai, India) Grenade attacks in Srinagar, killing eight, preceded seven bomb blasts killing at least 144 on commuter trains in Mumbai, India's financial center.

From IndiaTimes.com:

Over 300 people were injured in the string of blasts in first-class compartments of suburban trains around 6 pm, during peak-hour traffic.

As the blasts ripped apart train compartments, mangled bodies of passengers were hurled out and survivors, many of them bleeding profusely, jostled to come out, leading to chaotic scenes.

The blasts occurred between 6.24 pm and 6.35 pm at Mahim, Bandra, Matunga, Borivili, Mira Road, Jogeshwari and Khar when most office-goers were returning home.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late on Tuesday reviewed the security situation in the aftermath of blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar after which he expressed the government's resolve to "fight and defeat the evil designs of terrorists."

One train was reported to be split in half. Mumbai was put on red alert. Wired timing devices were said to be used on all seven high-intensity explosions. Security in Delhi was heightened.

In a report from New Delhi, intelligence sources said the terror attack on Mumbai trains was carried out by Lashkar-e-Toiba and local Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists. The assertions are based on information about Lashkar's sleeper cells and the scale of the bombings. Officials believe the terrorists wanted to cause communal mayhem.

Another report from Greater Kashmir states that 147 passengers have died and 439 are injured. BBC reports that the simultaneous bombings killed at least 160 and 460 are injured.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.


[Update 07/13/06]

It has been confirmed that the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were involved in the Mumbai blasts. Investigators found that all bombs were placed in the luggage rack of the compartments and timers were used to trigger the blasts.

A strong Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) link was also found. According to K.V. Raghuvanshi, joint commissioner of police (Anti-Terrorist Squad - ATS), the Mumbai terror cell was set up about four years ago with the joining of the LeT and the SIMI. Although they were known, security forces have had difficulty intercepting planned attacks.

Latest casualty counts total 200 dead and 714 injured in Mumbai and seven dead and 37 injured in Srinagar. That's about a thousand innocent victims of Islamic terrorism in one day. Allah must be proud of the followers of the religion of peace.