South Asia News

60 dead as blasts rock India's Jaipur city (Roundup)

May 13, 2008, 19:56 GMT

New Delhi - At least 60 people were killed and 150 injured as terrorists set off eight powerful bomb blasts in India's northern city of Jaipur on Tuesday, officials and news reports said. A damaged car at the blast site in India's northern city of Jaipur, Rajasthan on 13 May 2008. EPA/STR

A damaged car at the blast site in India's northern city of Jaipur, Rajasthan on 13 May 2008. EPA/STRThe bombs went off in market places and outside a Hindu temple where a large number of devotees had gathered for prayers, the PTI news agency reported. 'According to the information I have received 60 people have died and 150 have been injured,' State Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje told the news agency. Another bomb was defused by the police in an area in the city, capital of the north-western Rajasthan state, which is considered among the most popular tourist destinations in India. Those injured were rushed to the local hospitals as the police said foreign tourists could be among the victims of the attacks. The city is located some 250 kilometres south west of national capital New Delhi. India's junior home minister Sriprakash Jaiswal told the NDTV network that there was enough evidence to show that it was a terrorist attack and hinted that a foreign-based terrorist group was involved. This is perhaps the worst terrorist strike in India after the Mumbai train blasts in July 2006 that killed 186 people. According to the police, the blasts occurred in markets such as the Johari Bazar, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal and near the Hanuman temple in the Tripolia Bazar area and Hawa Mahal, or the palace of winds, considered the most famous landmark in the city. The carefully planned low-intensity explosions were suspected to have been set off from cycles and cars in the area and took place within a range of two kilometres in the old quarters of the city. The bombs targeting five places were 'designed to create maximum impact', police officers said adding that all the explosions took place within 30 minutes starting at 7.15 pm local time. The blasts triggered panic amongst the shoppers and worshippers as frightened people ran helter-skelter for safety. Blood was splattered on the scene as the explosions tossed some of the mangled remains of the victims several feet away. The city plunged into fear as there were traffic jams on the streets and people rushed to their homes after the blasts. 'There was an deafening explosion near the shops and huge flames engulfed the area. There was total chaos and many people were crying and running for safety,' Lalit Khatri, a witness told the NDTV. Information Officer of the Rajasthan Government, Rohit Singh said the fact that blasts took place near a Hindu place of worship, indicated that the attacks were aimed at triggering communal violence between Hindus and Muslims. Meanwhile, Indian security agencies suspected the Muslim militant group Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islamia (HuJI) - which was behind an attack in the state last year which claimed two lives. However, no terrorist outfit claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Federal Home Ministry sounded a nationwide alert following the serial blasts in Jaipur, the first major terrorist attack in India since serial blasts in the northern Uttar Pradesh state in November last year claimed 13 lives and injured 59 others. Both Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed to people to maintain communal harmony in the state.

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In stead of blaming each other INVESTIGATEMay 13th, 2008 - 20:59:57

And apprehend the culprits, not because of prejudice rather impartial investigation by three different countries intelligence.

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General Mohammad Zia ul HaqMay 14th, 2008 - 05:27:42

I am general Zia. I helped the Americans during the Afghan war against the Soviets. But as soon as they thought I was a burden, they killed me along with the US Ambassador Robin Raphael. People could not tell who killed me. India had nothing to gain. USSR had nothing to gain at that stage and if they wanted, they would do that sooner. Only USA had a reason to kill me and no one could tell they did it because they killed their own ambassador with me also.

On 911 they killed 3000 of their own people in a controlled demolition operation.

I urge you to dispassionately investigate every terrorism in India. You have too many Israeli tourists for your own good.

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Ivaylo IvanovMay 14th, 2008 - 05:28:30

This is a job of Mossad or CIA.

CIA used General Mohammad Zia and then killed him ALONG WITH THEIR OWN AMBASSADOR.

CIA used Afghans and then killed them. They were invited in White House by Reagan and killed by Bush1&2.

911 was an inside job by Larry Silverstein on his OWN property using thermate cutter charges.

Mr Benjamin Freedman tells in his audio on iamthewitness.com how the zionists conspired against america.

They are all evil, mischievous, and callous.

life means nothing to them. only oil, and their sick and sadistic plans.

They killed Jesus on the cross for not bringing them imperial glory and used the romans to do their job.

Thou shall win by deception is their motto.

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m.gummanMay 16th, 2008 - 00:05:55

about time to install CCTV cameras in all high risk areas to avoid suspicion and increase conviction rate it also prevents casualty rate and saves money. talks about tighten security, answer is CCTV. act now as the age of terror is on the rise for a better future people of the world.

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60 dead as blasts rock India's Jaipur city (Roundup)

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