21 Killed in Mumbai Attack

At least 21 killed in multiple terror attack in Mumbai. Indian cities raise terror alert

Report July 13, 2011, 9:27 PM (GMT+02:00)

Three separate locations were struck by explosions during the rush hour of Wednesday, July 13, in India's financial capital of Mumbai: the crowded Dadar hub for millions of commuters, the famed jewelry market and the Opera House business district. The death toll climbed during the day to 21, with 140 injured admitted to hospital. Mumbai has been sealed and is on high-alert; so are Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore.

Three years ago, terrorists besieged Mumbai killing 166 people. No organization has yet claimed responsibility.

According to some reports, the blasts were timed for the birthday of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 attacks. The Pakistani Lashkar e-Taibe, which is linked to al-Qaeda, was accused of carrying out those attacks.

The home ministry confirmed it is a terrorist attack and has rushed to the stricken city three teams of the newly-created National Intelligence Agency including forensic experts. Heavy rain was pouring down over South Mumbai Wednesday night disrupting the gathering of evidence.

Most people were injured at Zaveri Bazaar, close to police headquarters, where Mumbai's bullion traders and jewelry shops are located, and at Opera House, where diamond exporters have their offices and workshops.

debkafile's counter-terror sources note that the blasts coincided with a visit to Washington by the Pakistanian Inter-Service-Intelligence ISI agency, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, for a meeting with the incoming CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus.
India has insisted that the ISI secretly backs the Lashkar e-Taibe terrorists and therefore had a hand in the 2008 attacks on Mumbai.

Pakistan was first to condemn the terorist attacks