12 held for probe, explosives identified

Malegaon, Sep 11 (UNI) Police have picked up at least 12 people for questioning in connection with the Friday bomb blasts here and have also identified contents of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as a mixture of RDX, ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rajvardhan today said no arrests have been so far.

He confirmed the type of explosives used in the IEDs which claimed 31 lives and left nearly 300 people wounded.

Mr Rajvardhan said no Pakistan national was killed in the blasts as reported in a section of the press nor police had any prior information about the blasts as claimed by a politician.

A 10-member special investigation team (SIT) is probing the blasts along with the local police.

Anti-Terrorist Squad(ATS) of Mumbai police, which is investigating the July 11 serial blasts in the metropolis' suburan train system, is also associated with the Malegaon probe. Similar mix of explosives had been used in Mumbai train blasts also.

UNI AKS SA VD DB2124