Total death is 14: DGP

Hyderabad, May 19 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) M A Basith tonight confirmed that the total deaths in the bomb blast at mecca masjid and police firing to disperse the mob after the incident was only 14 According to an official release here, Mr Basith clarified that the total number of death was 14, and not 16 as reported earlier. He said nine deaths were occured due to bomb blast and five in police firing.

Sources said the police had taken eight suspected persons into custody and were interrogating them.

The suspected persons were the sympathisers and had links with several terrorist organisations operating from Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the explosives recovered from the masjid were sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for detailed examination.

The intelligence had got the detailes of the person from a cell phone recovered at the spot.

Shahed Bilal, one of the most wanted terrorists associated with terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harkat-Ul-Jihad-al-Islami and Lashkar-e-Toiba and a native of this city, is suspected to be the mastermind behind the blast, which claimed 16 lives and left more than 50 injured.

Police sources said they recovered a Hutch SIM card from the spot. It was allegedly been purchased from West Bengal in Bilal's name. The phone calls showed Bilal could have planned the blast.

The conspiracy might have been hatched in Bangladesh or Pakistan.

HUJI was known for using mobile phones for triggering Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

It was the first time the IEDs had been used in the blast in the city, the sources claimed.

UNI