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India says few clues to bomb, denies intelligence failure
Source: Agencies |
February 14, 2010, Sunday
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THE Indian government said today it had little idea who was behind a bomb in a tourist eatery in western India that killed nine people, an attack that some experts said could be the work of home-grown militants.
The bomb that also wounded 57 in the city of Pune was the country's first big attack since the 2008 Mumbai massacre and appeared to target Indian and foreign tourists. At least one foreigner whose identity had not yet been established was killed.
German Bakery, located close to a Jewish centre and a religious retreat frequented by foreigners, was a soft target in an area that had been on the radar of intelligence officials, Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said.
"Nothing is ruled out, nothing is ruled in. The investigation is in progress," Chidambaram told reporters.
"There is no intelligence failure. This particular area has been on the radar for quite some time. But this was not an overt attack by a gunman, but an insidious attack with a bomb planted in a soft target."
Indian authorities put airports and railway stations on high alert after the blast and extra security was given to South African and Indian cricket teams playing in the country.
Pune police had been alerted to the possibility of attacks on Osho ashram and Chabad House, which had also been targeted during the Mumbai attacks, Chidambaram said. But there had been no intelligence input on German Bakery, he said.
Chidambaram said the Pune ashram was one site surveyed by David Headley, arrested in the United States last year and charged with scouting targets for the Mumbai rampage.
The attack also appear similar to a wave of bombs that hit Indian cities in the year before the Mumbai attacks, killing more than 100 people.
Police blamed most of those attacks on home-grown Muslim militants, and a little-known group called the "Indian Mujahideen" claimed responsibility for some attacks. But Hindu militants were also accused of masterminding some bombs.
Among the injured were Iranians, Sudanese, a person from China's Taiwan and a German.
"I don't think any particular nationality was targeted. They targeted a place where young people, both foreigners and Indians, congregated," Chidambaram said.
The bomb that also wounded 57 in the city of Pune was the country's first big attack since the 2008 Mumbai massacre and appeared to target Indian and foreign tourists. At least one foreigner whose identity had not yet been established was killed.
German Bakery, located close to a Jewish centre and a religious retreat frequented by foreigners, was a soft target in an area that had been on the radar of intelligence officials, Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said.
"Nothing is ruled out, nothing is ruled in. The investigation is in progress," Chidambaram told reporters.
"There is no intelligence failure. This particular area has been on the radar for quite some time. But this was not an overt attack by a gunman, but an insidious attack with a bomb planted in a soft target."
Indian authorities put airports and railway stations on high alert after the blast and extra security was given to South African and Indian cricket teams playing in the country.
Pune police had been alerted to the possibility of attacks on Osho ashram and Chabad House, which had also been targeted during the Mumbai attacks, Chidambaram said. But there had been no intelligence input on German Bakery, he said.
Chidambaram said the Pune ashram was one site surveyed by David Headley, arrested in the United States last year and charged with scouting targets for the Mumbai rampage.
The attack also appear similar to a wave of bombs that hit Indian cities in the year before the Mumbai attacks, killing more than 100 people.
Police blamed most of those attacks on home-grown Muslim militants, and a little-known group called the "Indian Mujahideen" claimed responsibility for some attacks. But Hindu militants were also accused of masterminding some bombs.
Among the injured were Iranians, Sudanese, a person from China's Taiwan and a German.
"I don't think any particular nationality was targeted. They targeted a place where young people, both foreigners and Indians, congregated," Chidambaram said.
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