Pune bomb blast an act of terror , confirms Govt

In a first major terror strike after the 26/11 Mumbai attack, at least eight people were killed, including some foreigners in a bomb blast at a German bakery in Pune on Saturday evening.

The bomb, kept under a table in the popular bakery in Koregaon Park, which also houses a Jewish prayer house and the Osho Ashram, exploded when the package was opened by a waiter. The deafening explosion killed and injured many on the spot. The bakery is popular among tourists.

The blast took place around 7.30 p.m. The site is located close to the local Chabad House as well as the hotel where terror suspect David Headley stayed during his visit to the city. "There have been eight deaths and 33 people were injured," said Pune Joint Commissioner of Police Rajendra Sonwane.

"It is a suspected bomb blast. So far, it is not confirmed. We are verifying this," he said, adding, "we have not arrived at any conclusion at this stage but prima facie it appears that it is a bomb blast".

"Most probably, it's a terror attack. A forensic team of the Central Bureau of Investigation is being sent to Pune," said Union Home Secretary G K Pillai. A team of National Investigative Agency officials is also being sent to Pune, said Pillai.

Official sources said that an improvised explosive device had been used to trigger the blast. A team of Anti-Terrorism Squad and bomb disposal squad visited the spot to ascertain the nature of the blast.

The injured have been rushed to the nearby Sassoon Hospital. Police and fire brigade teams have already reached the place of incident.

Earlier reports suggested that it could be a cylinder blast. However, sources in the home ministry said the blast was likely to be an act of terror. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said he had talked to the city police commissioner, who told him that unless they examined the evidence on the scene, they cannot come to any conclusion.

It may be recalled during the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, Nariman House which had predominantly Jewish inmates was targeted. David Headley arrested by the FBI in US, for Mumbai attack links, had reportedly visited Osho ashram in Pune.

G.K. Pillai told the media all the States and Capitals had been alerted. Though the needle of suspicion pointed to the possible hand of Lashkar-e-Toiba, he said only investigation will indicate who was behind the blast. The hand of Taliban too cannot be ruled out. Coming as it does a few weeks before the Indo-Pakistan Foreign Secretary-level talks on February 25, the blast could cast a shadow on the discussions. Tighter security is also being provided to the cricket teams of India and South Africa scheduled to play at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

Forensic experts, ATS and CBI teams are being rushed to Pune. Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who is in Chennai, is closely monitoring the situation, Pillai said. Any attack on foreigners in India will catch the attention of international media as was seen during the Mumbai attack when the Taj Hotel and Oberoi Trident were chosen for causing damage and killings as they are frequented by foreigners.

The BJP spokesman commenting on the blast, said “terror and talks cannot go together,” in an allusion to the proposed talks with Pakistan, which the party has criticized as a shift in the government policy.

- Asian Tribune -