At least 46 people were killed and over 100 wounded when 21 bomb blasts struck different parts of Ahmedabad on July 26. Most of the blasts occurred in the crowded areas. The first blast was reported from the Maninagar area of the city at 6.38 p.m. Thereafter bombs went off at 20 other places, all within the next five to seven minutes. The worst attack occurred near the trauma centre of a government hospital, where 25 people were killed. Initial investigations pointed to the hand of ‘sleeper cells’ of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)1.

In an e-mail message to the media minutes before the serial bombings, an organisation calling itself the ‘Indian Mujahideen’ claimed responsibility for the attacks. Titled ‘The Rise of Jihad’, the e-mail noted that the bombings were carried out to avenge the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat. It also warned of future attacks, charging that the police were “arresting, imprisoning, and torturing our brothers in the name of SIMI2.” Reports noted that the ‘Indian Mujahideen’ was a loose coalition of elements from the SIMI, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Harkat ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI).

Earlier on July 25, a series of eight low-intensity bomb blasts rocked Bangalore. One person was killed and seven others wounded in the blasts which occurred between 1:30-2:30 pm. According to police sources, improvised explosive devices fitted to timer devices were used in all the explosions3.

• 1. “17 blasts rock Ahmedabad,” The Hindu, July 27, 2008, at http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/27/stories/2008072760570100.htm
• 2. “Indian Mujahideen’ claims responsibility,” The Hindu, July 27, 2008, at http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/27/stories/2008072759280100.htm
• 3. “Serial blasts rattle Bangalore; woman killed,” The Hindu, July 26, 2008, at http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/26/stories/2008072660910100.htm