February 23, 2013

Hyderabad bombings



The Guardian, February 22, 2013 reports http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/22/hyderabad-bomb-india-islamist-militants :

"Hyderabad bomb investigators examine links with Islamist militant group"

At least 12 people have been killed and many injured in Thursday, February 21, 2013's two bomb attacks in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. “Hyderabad, a city of 10 million in the state of Andhra Pradesh, is a hub of India's IT industry and has a mixed population of Muslims and Hindus.”

Authorities were examining whether the Indian Mujahideen, thought to have a link with militants in neighbouring Pakistan, might have carried out the attack, said an investigator, speaking on condition of anonymity.

India's recent execution of an Islamic militant is being examined as a possible motive for the bombings, he said. [that was “the hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri militant killed nearly two weeks ago. He was executed for his involvement in a 2001 attack on India's parliament that killed 14 people, including five gunmen.”]

Police have not yet detained anyone in connection with Thursday evening's attacks, the first major terrorist bombings in India since 2011.

…The bombs were attached to two bicycles about 150 metres (500ft) apart, Shinde said. He said, in addition to the dead, 119 others were injured. WHOLE ARTICLE.





Australia's ABC News, February 22, 2013 reports:

"Cricket Australia monitoring safety in Hyderabad"

Cricket Australia (CA) is denying reports the team will refuse to travel to next week's second Test against India in Hyderabad following bombings in the city.

WHOLE ARTICLE

2 comments:

  1. Kumar2/26/2013 5:59 PM

    Hi Pete
    Motives apart, India will continue to be targetted, because of its systemic weakness and inept security and anti-terror architecture. The Hyderabad attacks could have been foiled but for the amateurish approach of the Hyderabad police. This was a case of callousness on the part of the local agency despite having intelligence inputs.
    Regards
    Kumar

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pete2/27/2013 11:03 AM

    Hi Kumar

    Yes intelligence failures might center on identifying what is most significant in a timely manner and preempting terrorist actions.

    Similar happened in the 2003 Bali I bombings in which 88 Australians were murdered http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/19/1055828435449.html with an early indicator being:

    "In November 2001, after Osama bin Laden singled out Australia in a recorded message, ASIO raised the threat level for Australian interests in Indonesia to high after assessing the risk as higher than elsewhere in the region."

    I don't know the extent terrorist actions are foiled in India or Australia.

    Pete

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