Surat continues to be on edge after recovery of four bombs

Ahmedabad, Jul 30 (UNI) The Diamond City of Surat continued to be on edge in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad serial blasts with four more live bombs found today, indicating that terror still stalked Gujarat.

According to police, two bombs were found near Varachha Garden this afternoon, while another bomb was found near a hotel in Kapodara area. All the three bombs were defused by the bomb squad.

Earlier, a live bomb was found at Baroda Prestige Market, soon after Chief Minister Narendra Modi visited the area this morning.

The bomb was later defused by the bomb squad.

Eighteen live bombs were detected and defused in the city yesterday.

All the bombs found so far have left people of Surat unhurt after being defused by the bomb disposal squads.

Mr Modi announced a reward of Rs 51 lakh for anyone providing information about the terror network in the state and Rs 21,000 for those giving vital information, promising their identity would not be revealed.

Saturday's serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad city have so far left 49 dead and 150 injured.

Barring diamond and textile industries, educational institutions and cinema halls, government offices and banking industry are functioning normally in the city.

Militant outfit 'Harkat-Ul-Jihad'(HUJI) meanwhile claimed responsibility for the blasts in Ahmedabad in a letter sent to a vernacular language news channel of a Hyderabad-based Television Network.

The HUJI letter, sent to TV-9 Gujarati, claimed that it had unleashed terror in Gujarat with serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad, and plantation of as many as 23 live bombs in Surat to take revenge for the post-Godhra carnage.

The letter also claimed that ''we are not terrorists, but, in fact, the biggest terrorists on earth are Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani, VHP leader Pravin Togadia and spiritual leader Asharam Bapu.'' The letter further alleged that ''HUJI is not a terrorist outfit but the VHP, RSS, Bajrang Dal and other Hindu groups are militant outfits.'' It also described the terror unleashed by HUJI as ''Mission Gujarat'' and said it was successful.

The letter also threatened the TV-9 Channel to air the message immediately, failing which it could bear their wrath.

The militant outfit claimed that the HUJI was capable of doing anything and at any place and nobody could stop them.

During preliminary investiation, it was found that the letter was delivered by a local postman and was posted from the minority-dominated Shah-e-Alam area of the city.

Mr Modi assured... picking up para 7, line one of BY8, BLAST-GUJ-SITUATION.

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