Twin blasts at Jama Masjid: Two dead

     New Delhi: Twin blasts at the Jama Masjid, the country's largest and one of the oldest mosque, killed two persons and wounded 15 more today. Blasts also rocked parts of the 'Walled City'. According to reports, the two blasts took place inside the mosque premises, within fifteen minutes of each other, during the Friday evening prayers, injuring the faithful. The injured have been admitted to the LNJP Hospital. As of now, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the blast. Police have rushed to the spot and are carrying on rescue efforts and have pressed ten fire tenders into service.

Devotees say blast is an 'attack on the nation'
by Sudhakar/Sutirtha Sanyal

      New Delhi: The Muslim Community has described the bomb attack on Jama Masjid as one on the nation and asked people to remain united. In a show of confidence, the first utterances on the Public Address system described the twin bomb blasts as an attack on the country and asked people to remain firm and one as a nation and not get divided, in the face of adversity. People had got panicky after the blast and could be seen waiting outside the massive gates of the mosque. The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Imam Bukhari, just after the blast asked the people to maintain calm. He also said that incidents like this and the bomb blasts in Varanasi on March 7 needed to be condemned in the strongest manner possible. Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) have been put on high alert. Security has also been beefed up at the Birla Mandir and the Hanuman Mandir.

Delhi, several states on high alert

      New Delhi: Capital New Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have been put on High Alert in wake of the twin bomb blasts inside the Jama Masjid. Security has been beefed up in Mumbai and Kolkata also to prevent any violence or communal tension from spilling over. The Union Home Ministry has asked all states to maintain a state of High Alert. Red Alert has also been declared in Varanasi, Kanpur, Lucknow and Hyderabad. Police have also beefed up security at the Birla Mandir and the Hanuman Mandir in the Capital.

Two more blasts rock Srinagar

      Srinagar: Two more blasts rocked Srinagar in the evening today after the simultaneous blasts in the morning that killed five and injured around 20 including four security personnel. The evening's blast at Kamarwari and Safakadel increased the number of wounded from 20 to around 36. The dead also included two women - a Nepalese labourer and a local. Four militant groups - Jamiat-ul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Islamic Front and Almansoorian had separately claimed responsibility for the attacks saying their targets were security forces.

    Earlier in the morning, five blasts rocked Srinagar killing five people and leaving over 11 injured. The blast took place in the busy areas of Lal Chowk, Amirakadal, Magarmal Bagh, Batamaloo and the city's Dalgate area. Today's first blast occurred outside the Congress party office at the Central Telegraph Office in the Lal Chowk area at a round 12 in the noon. The second blast took place at Hari Singh High Street, third at Batmalu and the fourth at the Dal Gate, all within a period of one hour. The first impression of the blasts showed that the militants had targeted the Border Security Force vehicle, which was damaged badly. The blasts come barely 10 days ahead of the Assembly by-polls in Sangrama, Rafiabad, Pattan in Baramulla district and Bhaderwah in Doda district. Assembly by-polls are scheduled in Jammu and Kashmir for April 24 and the Election Commission has directed the authorities to beef up security arrangements in four assembly constituencies where by-polls are scheduled. The blasts also coincide with the visit of a delegation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir here to take part in a conference in the evening.

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