Deadly Bomb Blasts in Sabarkantha and Malegaon, India

by Terri Potratz | September 29, 2008 at 10:23 am

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News reports of a bomb blast in Sabarkantha in Gujarat, India indicate that upwards of 2 people are dead and many injured after suicide bombers detonated an explosive from their motorcycle near a busy marketplace after Ramzan prayers. Additional bombs were detonated shortly afterwards in Malegaon, Maharashtra, which killed at least 1 person.

At least two persons were dead and 8 others injured when a low intensity blast occurred in Sabarkantha in Gujarat, late Monday night. Besides the reports coming in from Malegaon in Maharastra also stated that one person is dead and seven injured in yet another blast that occurred in the vicinity of a mosque.

The blast took place in sukabazar area of Modasa town. Sabarkantha is a Muslim dominated area and the blast is reported to have taken place at a time when a large crowd had congregated in the market for Eid shopping.

The deceased are reported to be two teenaged boys named Zainuddin Ghauri and Nizamuddin Ghauri.

Tweets indicate the intensity of the situation unfolding in right now India:

#bombblasts Malegaon helpline: 02554 231000 half a minute ago from web #bombblasts Confirmed via IG, Nasik: Malegaon blast is a crude bomb blast. 2 minutes ago from web @pavanaja Gujarat blast was a crude bomb blast... Malegaon blast hasn't been confirmed; initial reports suggest cylinder blast. 8 minutes ago from web in reply to pavanaja #bombblasts Both Modasa and Malegaon are communaly sensitive areas. 18 minutes ago from web #bombblasts Situation tense in Malegaon... police open firing to control crowd. 11 minutes ago from web #bombblasts Gujarat blast: The dead is a 15-year old boy. 15 minutes ago from web #bombblasts Alert sounded in western India. 22 minutes ago from web

News reports are varied as the situation appears to be one of panic and confusion in these regions, especially as the crowds resist police interference:

Another blast that occurred almost simultaneously in Maharashtra’s Malegaon, claimed three persons and injured over 20. The target of the bomb appears to be the Muslim population that had assembled near the Noorani Masjid, ahead of the Eid festival.

In Malegaon, the police is yet to confirm the nature of the blast. The police is confronting a stiff resistance from the irate mob of local people, who are not allowing the security men to enter the area.

According to an eyewitness, the blasts took place with a defending sound and people were seen running helter and skelter.

The police have fired in the air to disperse the irate mob which resorted to pelting stones.

These attacks follow an already intense situation in India, following numerous bomb attacks in the past months that have killed dozens:

Earlier in the day, seventeen crude bombs were found near the Kalupur Darvaza of Ahmedabad. The bombs found were not sophisticated devices but crude explosives.

Barely two days ago, a low intensity bomb rocked Mehrauli in Delhi, killing two persons and leaving several injured.

The same comes two weeks after the coordinated bombings in the capital on September 13 that killed 24 people and injured over a 100.

On July 26, serial bombings in Ahmedabad killed 56 people. In the days following the bombings, 23 low-intensity bombs were recovered from Surat and defused.

Another report elaborates that while one person was initially killed in the Malegaon blast, an additional two were killed in the stampede that followed:

Over 50 people were reported injured in the stampede. According to latest reports, an angry mob attacked the police vehicles, forcing the police forces open fire in the air. Six policemen including the SP were injured in the clashes.

Both Malegaon and Sabarkantha are Muslim-dominated areas