The diamond city of Surat came under the terror radar with nine live bombs being on Tuesday found from residential areas as Gujarat police detained three men for questioning in connection with the serial blasts.
All the bombs were recovered from different parts of Varacha area, housing most of Surat's diamond processing units, in a span of four hours, putting severe pressure on the city's bomb disposal squad.
Panic gripped the city as the explosive devices were found from residential localities and the diamond workshop areas which the terrorists apparently wanted to target. They were all defused by the bomb disposal squad. "Till now, nine bombs have been found," Surat Police Commissioner R M S Brar told PTI.
Police said three bombs were deactivated in the Mini Diamond Market area, three in Labeshwar, Santoshinagar and Matavadi localities and three under the Varacha-Kapodra flyover. The contents of the neutralised explosive devices have been sent for forensic analysis.
In Matavadi, a bomb was found handing from a tree while in Labeshwar it was left in an abandoned bag. In both these cases, the devices were planted near police outposts.
{{/usCountry}}In Matavadi, a bomb was found handing from a tree while in Labeshwar it was left in an abandoned bag. In both these cases, the devices were planted near police outposts.
{{/usCountry}}The three suspected -Abdul Qadir, Hasil Mohammad and Hussain Ibrahim--were detained near Limbi on Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway in Surendranagar district while they were leaving Ahmedabad soon after the blasts that took 49 lives and left over 145 injured. Their possible links with outlawed SIMI and 'Indian Mujahideen' are being investigated, police said.
Police said they were questioning SIMI activist Abdul Halim but declined to give any details on what he has revealed so far. Halim, who was arrested on Sunday, was remanded in police custody by a court on Monday.