Hyderabad Blasts: Carried Out By LeT And Not Indian Mujahideen?

The Hyderabad blasts last week seemed to carry all the trademark characteristics of the Indian Mujahideen, but the BJP chief in Andhra Pradesh, G Kishan Reddy, has reportedly received a letter, allegedly from terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claiming responsibility and threatening more attacks. “The letter, according to sources, says that the city’s Begum Bazaar area would be the next target”.

Speaking to media later Reddy said that he immediately went to the Abids police station and lodged a complaint. The authenticity of the threat has not been verified as yet. “Irrespective of the genuineness of the threat it is important for the government to keep its intelligence network on its toes to gather information about anti-national, particularly terror elements, and prevent recurrence of such attacks”, said Reddy in remarks to the media.

One of the bombs were put in a tiffin box and placed on a cycle parked along the road – a tactic the Indian Mujahideen (IM) had resorted to in previous attacks.

It also seems that the Delhi Police, after interrogating an IM member accused in the Pune Bakery blast case, had hinted that the outfit might be planning attacks across the country. In a TOI report, the suspects arrested by the Delhi Police had admitted during the interrogation that they had surveyed three places in Hyderabad on instructions from Pakistan-based IM chief Riyaz Bhatkal for terror strikes in future.

The Hyderabad Police Commissioner said on Saturday that the police force had received a government circular on 15 February about an imminent terror attack, and the police did everything it could to prevent any act of terrorism.

“I know no amount of explanation will suffice, but we did everything we could to prevent any act of terrorism. It was a dastardly act and we will bring the culprits to book,” Anurag Sharma said at a press conference in Hyderabad.