Bomb blasts rock Ahmedabad

{image-ahmedabad blasts_26072008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Ahmedabad, Jul 26: A day after a series of explosions rocked Bangalore, 17 blasts went off in Ahmedabad, capital city of Gujarat on Saturday, July 26. Reports suggests that 45 people have been killed and 100 others are injured in the incident. All blasts went off in a span of half an hour starting 6:45 pm.

The areas targeted are Raipur, Maninagar, Isanpur, Naroda, Bapu Nagar and Diamond Market. These are residential and market areas in the city. Sources say that these areas are particularly crowded on Saturday and Sunday evenings. According to police sources the blasts were of low intensity. The first bomb was kept in a bicycle while the others were kept in tiffin boxes. Police have rushed to the sites. Most of the blasts occured in and around Maninagar , which is the constituency of Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi.

Most of these are communally tensed areas in Ahmedabad.

All mobile networks in te state have been jammed in Gujarat.

Just before the blasts took place a group called Indian Mujahiddin sent an email to a television channel saying that there will be blasts. Intelligence sources said that quartz and microprocessors were used to make the bombs which were used in Ahmedabad blasts.

Ahmedabad has been cordoned off as it is a sensitive area and authorities don"t want tensions to flare up.

Delhi, Mumbai, and other metros in the country are already on the high alert.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has applealed to the citizens to maintain calm.

Home Minister has called for a high level meeting at New Delhi tomorrow to discuss about the recent terrorist attacks in the country.

BJP Prime Ministerial candidate LK Advani reacting to the serial blasts that rocked the city of Ahmedabad, said, 'Stricter laws to control terror are the need of the hour. Law and order situation in Gujarat is satisfactory. The blasts are the result of sinister designs on the part of terrorist organisations. It is something serious, and must be taken seriously by State and Centre.'

To the question that two BJP-ruled states have been targetted in as many days, Advani said, "I would not draw any conclusion on this."

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that Ahmedabad bomb blasts aimed at disturbing peace and harmony of the country.Home Minister Shivraj Patil also condemned the incident.

BJP President Rajnath Singh also reacted to the terror attack and said, "The center should work more in co-operation with the state governments to combat terror".

Chief Minister Narendra Modi has called for a urgent cabinet meeting at his residence and the Chief Minister is likely to visit the blast areas soon.

OneIndia News