Terrorists strike yet again, at will: 11 dead, 91 injured in Delhi blast

[Atreides 144]

Link

 

 

NEW DELHI: Exactly 111 days ago, on May 25, there was a low-intensity blast at Gate No. 7 of Delhi high court. It wasn't taken seriously; in fact, it was considered a failed attempt and a sign of the reduced strike power of terrorists. Now, it seems that the attack - whose perpetrators have still not been arrested - was just a dry run for a murderous strike by a band of determined killers.

 

At 10.15am on Wednesday, as Delhi High Court's reception counter near Gate No. 5 milled with people, terrorists detonated a sophisticated improvised explosive device (IED) placed in a briefcase, leaving 11 dead and 91 injured. It was the first major terrorist attack in the Capital in almost three years, though it came less than two months after the serial blasts in Mumbai on July 13.

 

Most of the casualties on Wednesday were among litigants, some as distinguished as Commander Ronald Nagar, who was once Rajiv Gandhi's co-pilot in Indian Airlines, and some as nondescript as a band of hawkers who had come to the court in appeal for a licence to sell their wares.

 

Late at night there was word that the police might have a lead. Sources said Delhi Police was looking for a gray Hyundai Accent car, DL 9CA 6034, which was being driven by a man in white shirt and black trousers - an attire possibly used by the killer/s to pass off as lawyers.

 

A couple of hours earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had revealed on his way back from Dhaka that the investigators already "have some early leads on the blast." He, however, admitted that there were "some weaknesses in the system", although a few "innovative measures" have been put in place post 26/11. He informed that the newly set up National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be handling Wednesday's case.

 

A few hours after the blast, an outfit calling itself Harkat-ul-Jehadi (very similar to the notorious HuJI - Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami) sent an email to a TV channel claiming responsibility for the blast. It demanded the release of Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru who has been sentenced to death. It also threatened to target all major high courts in the country and the Supreme Court. Sources say the email has been sent from Mumbai where a team is being sent for further investigation.

 

Police said the IED used on Wednesday was possibly made with three to four kilograms of ammonium nitrate laced with PETN, shrapnel and an electronic timer device. It was placed in a black briefcase near the reception counter where around 150-200 people had queued up for gate-passes. Sources said the bomb was "very sophisticated and has been made by experts." They added that "such a bomb has been seen after a long time in the last few years".

 

The possibility of RDX being used is not being ruled out as the impact of the explosion was terrific and there was a thick pall of smoke after the blast. The impact left a 4-feet crater with 1-metre diameter. Around it was a horrible mess of blood and flesh.

 

Home minister P Chidambaram said the NIA would investigate the case and a written directive was sent to Delhi Police asking it to assist NIA. By evening, Delhi Police released sketches of two suspects prepared on the basis of description given by eyewitnesses. One suspect is 26 and the other 50. Chidambaram hinted at gaps in the security system when he said that Delhi Police had been given intelligence inputs in July and the attack happened despite the fact that the capital was on high alert.

 

As it was a day for public interest litigations (PIL), there was a higher number of litigants at the reception counter. The explosion took place near the senior citizens' counter, ripping off the reception area. Several persons who were standing near the deadly briefcase were killed on the spot.

 

The injured were rushed to different hospitals - 57 to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. There were some injured in AIIMS, Moolchand hospital, Apollo, Safdarjung, Ganga Ram and R&R Army hospital.

 

Teams of forensic experts, Delhi Police's special cell, crime branch, as well as the police and NIA brass were at the blast site, carrying out an extensive examination for leads. A NSG team with sniffer dogs was also drafted in the operation. NIA has formed a team of 20 officers to probe the case.

[Nesher 628]

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[ShrikeHawk 384]

Sad to hear it. My deepest sympathies.

 

Once again, the people killed in these blasts have nothing to do with the problem the bombers are concerned about. Why should "Hawkers" have to die for the bomber's cause? The bombers are just going for a body count and they don't care who dies. I don't think India is backing Israel significantly, so what's the excuse this time?

[JediMaster 451]

Pakistan has never needed Israel as a reason to attack India.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

lol true

 

Why should "Hawkers" have to die for the bomber's cause?

 

For some insight, lookup The Soviet Partisan Movement, 1941 - 1945

by Edgar Howell, Department Of The Army (US), 1956

 

Part of the story is a tale of terrorist massacre against Soviet villages....commited by the Communists. The partisans, killing villagers often at random, wished to show the villagers that the Germans could not protect the villages in the German held rear areas, thus making villages fear cooperating with the Germans worse than the fear of cooperating with the Communists.

 

I gather that terrosim like this has the aim of proving to the population that, in this case, India can't control its own "areas" so to speak. Its a very different situation of course and so this kind of action won't succeed long term. This kind of terrorism did work in situations like the Eastern Front.

[ShrikeHawk 384]

Sounds like the same tactic the Taliban are using in Afghanistan.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

I searched the Amazon for "soviet partisan movement" and there are several books, including one by Glantz. The Howel book has a few used listings, apparently later printings. The original print has an odd hard+soft cover -- hardback but flexible. The maps are fantastic at least in the old book.

 

~> http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=soviet+partisan+movement&x=0&y=0