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Hyderabad blasts were meant to be far deadlier
Chandigarh too a target; ISI hand unlikely
Rajeev Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 29
The August 25 twin Hyderabad blasts were meant to be far deadlier in scope and swathe than known so far. Here’s why.

Officials have confirmed recovery of two live bombs from Hyderabad in the wake of the blasts - one under a footbridge in the Dilsukhnagar commercial area and a second in a movie theater in the Narayanaguda district. But therein lies the catch. How many unexploded devices were actually recovered?

A source said 19 unexploded bombs were recovered. The source neither elaborated nor explained why the official number of recovered unexploded bombs has been kept at two.

Meanwhile, a classified report of the Government of India on August 21 had specifically cited three Indian cities for possible attacks by Islamist terrorists - Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Chandigarh has so far been spared.

It may well be a tactical decision on part of the investigators to keep the actual number of recovered unexploded bombs under wraps, but it is evident that Hyderabad’s satanic Saturday was intended to be far more wide-ranging and lethal.

The selection of targets, the type of explosives used in exploded as well as unexploded devices and the modus operandi used are a treasure trove of leads for the investigators to locate the terror cell.

A significant point here is that the August 25 bombings are not a signature operation by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). This means that either the ISI is either not involved, or if involved, has kept the deniability quotient very high by roping in absolute green horns for the job.

The number of malfunctioning devices points to the fact that inexperienced people are behind the Hyderabad blasts. At the same time, the fact that the devices were planted without detection indicates the organisation responsible for the attack was able to practice fairly good operational security. This also casts a poor reflection on the intelligence agencies, both at the central and the state level.

A telltale modus operandi in Hyderabad blasts is the choice of targets and the exclusion of high-value targets. The attackers clearly preferred the “near enemy” (India) to the “far enemy” (America and the West). The latter has significant presence in a city like Hyderabad, which is a high-tech hub.

This important input, coupled with the fact the targets were unarmed, innocent civilians, are strong pointers to the real motive of the attackers. They were neither Naxalites, who are loath to attack soft targets, nor the supporters of the Al-Qaida brand of philosophy of taking on high-profile targets.

The investigators are almost certain that the Hyderabad bombers were Kashmiri-type Islamist terrorists whose objective was to target Hindus to trigger off a communal situation. It may be mentioned that the Mecca Masjid attack in Hyderabad three months ago, too, was a part of the same strategy.

The post-Mecca Masjid blast backlash encouraged the Islamist terrorists to shift their focus to Hindu targets this time to stoke a communal fire. However, the perpetrators’ strategy failed to pay dividends as Hyderabadi Muslims demonstrated remarkable maturity and restraint.

Sketch of suspect released
Ramesh Kandula
Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, August 29
The police today released the sketch of a suspect in the twin blasts that shook the city over the week- end claiming 43 lives.

Based on the description given by a survivor of the bombing at Lumbini Park, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has prepared the computer sketch of a youth who was seen at the open air auditorium in the park, carrying a black bag.

A fair, well-built man, aged around 25 years, was sitting in the middle row with a bag near his legs. An eyewitness, who was injured in the blast, gave the police the much-needed information about the suspect.

The survivor, who is recuperating in a city hospital, told investigators that he saw the bespectacled youth sitting alone, leaving two seats by his side vacant.

As the laser show was on, the suspect, believed to be about 5 ft 8 inch tall, slipped out, leaving the bag in the auditorium.

It is now suspected that the bag left behind by him contained the explosives and a timer device.

While releasing the sketch of the suspect, the SIT head and additional commissioner of police M Punna Rao said suitable reward would be given to those providing information leading to his arrest.

"The injured eyewitness has provided the vital descriptions. With the help of a computer expert from Mumbai, we have prepared this sketch," Rao said.

The bomb, planted under one of the chairs, went off in the auditorium when over 500 people were engrossed in watching the laser show. Eleven people, including seven engineering students from Maharashtra, were killed in the explosion.

A few minutes later, another bomb exploded in Gokul Chat Bhandar, a popular eatery in the Kothi area, killing 32 people.

The SIT, formed to probe the blasts, is yet to achieve any breakthrough. About 20 police teams have fanned out across the city, conducting searches and looking for clues in the deadliest ever terror strike in the state.

The police has questioned several people, including 20 Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals overstaying here illegally.

The SIT chief appealed to the people, who happened to be at the laser show on the fateful day, to come forward and share photographs and video clips they might have taken before or during the show. "This may help us in obtaining the necessary information to identify the suspects," Rao said.

The officials of the Home Ministry had earlier said the needle of suspicion pointed towards the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HUJI), which was also blamed for the May 18 blast at Mecca Masjid here.