India has become the target of terrorist activities in the recent few years. A number of serial bomb blasts have shook the nation in the last few decades.The following article talks about such worst serial bombings that terrorized the nation, besides killing and injuring hundreds.
1993 Bombay Serial Blasts: 257 Dead
Accused: Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon, Inter-Serivces Intelligence (ISI)
Casualty: 257 Dead and 713 injured
This was the most destructive serial blast in the history of India with13 bomb blasts in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The first bomb, a car bomb, exploded at the Bombay Stock Exchange at around 1:30 pm. The second followed 30 minutes later and soon, between 2:00 pm and 3:40 pm, 11 more blasts happened. A number of people were arrested and detained. In 2009, 100 were found guilty out of the total 129 accused. But many among the 100 found, guilty are still missing.
2006 Mumbai Serial Blasts: 209 Dead
Accused: Lashkar-e-Taiba, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)
Casualty: 209 Dead and 714 Injured (Approx)
Commonly referred as the 7/11 bombings, these were a series of 7 blasts that took place between 6:24 pm and 6:35 pm, in a period of 11 minutes. The area targeted was the Suburban Railway in Mumbai. Pressure cookers were used to carry out the blasts with 2.5 kg mixture of RDX and ammonium nitrate. Around 350 people were detained for the investigation in a period of three days after investigation.
2008 Delhi Serial Blasts (13 September): 30 Dead
Accused: Indian Mujahideen
Casualty: 30 Dead and 130 injured
These were a series of five syncronised bomb blasts that rocked various areas of Delhi on 13th September, 2008. The first explosion took place at 6:07 pm and soon the other four blasts followed, the last one exploding at 6:38 pm. Investigations revealed that low intensity ammonium nitrate with integrated circuits and timers were used in almost all the explosions. Another 5 bombs were defused at the India Gate. Two persons were arrested post bomb blast, 5 more people were arrested from Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh.
2008 Delhi Serial Blasts (27 September): 3 Dead
Accused: Bangladeshi Militants
Casualty: 3 dead and 23 injured
These explosions happened at Mehrauli’s flower market at about 2:15 pm. These bombings took place two weeks after the serial blasts that happened in Delhi on 13th September, 2008. Eyewitnesses reported that the bomb was placed in a tiffin box which was dropped by two persons wearing black dress and helmet, riding on motorcycle. Investigations revealed that ammonium nitrate, sulphur and potassium were used to have the low intensity blasts. Soon after the blasts, 5 people were detained at the IGI Airport for investigation.
2008 Jaipur Serial Blasts: 80 Dead
Accused: Indian Mujaheedin, Harkat- ul- Jihad- al- Islami
Casualty: 80 dead and 216 injured
A total of 9 synchronized bombs exploded in about a span of 15 minutes on 13th May, 2008 in various locations of Jaipur. Another tenth bomb was located and was subsequently diffused. The first explosion occurred at about 7:10 pm in the evening and 8 other blasts followed it. The bombs were planted in bicycle and a mixture of RDX and ammonium nitrate with timers to cause low intensity explosions. Soon after the blasts, four people were detained for questioning by the Rajasthan Police.
2008 Ahmedabad Serial Blasts: 56 Dead
Accused: Indian Mujaheedin, Harkat- ul- Jihad- al- Islami
Casualty: 56 dead and 200 injured
These were a blast of 21 bombs, happened in Ahmedabad on 26 July, 2008. The first blast occurred at 6:45 pm and in a span of 70 minutes the following blasts happened. The bombings took place a day after the blasts in Bangalore and a day before of the Jharkhand bombing. The blasts were a low intensity blasts. The police was quite active in the investigation and on 16th August, 2008 declared the case to be solved, making it the fastest case of terrorism to be solved in recent years.
2008 Bangalore Serial Blasts: 2 Dead
Accused: Lashkar-e-Toiba, Students Islamic Movement of India
Casualty: 2 dead and 20 injured
A series of nine bombs exploded on the 25th July, 2008 in Bangalore. These bombs exploded in a span of 40 minutes with the first one triggering at around 1:30 pm. Investigations revealed that gelatin sticks were used as explosives with timers that were triggered using mobile phones. The blasts were low intensity blasts and the areas affected were the crowded ones. The first suspect was arrested on the 29th July and later in a couple of days, two more suspects were arrested and questioned.
2008 Assam Serial Blasts: 81 Dead
Accused: Harkat- ul- Jihad- al- Islami, United Liberation Front of Asom, National Democratic Front of Bodoland
Casualty: 81 dead and 470 injured
On 30th October, 2008, a total of 18 bombs went off before noon in the markets of Guwahati. There was a confirmed report of 10 blasts though the number was considered to be as high as eighteen. The fire that erupted after the blasts suggested that large number of explosives like RDX, C4, TNT or PETN had been used in the bombings. Timers were also used as the blasts took place in a span of just 15 minutes.
2009 Guwahati Serial Blasts: 6 Dead
Accused: United Liberation Front of Asom
Casualty: 6 dead and 67 injured
At around 2:35 pm, an explosion shook the city of Guwahati on the 1st January, 2009. The blasts happened just before the scheduled visit of finance minister Mr. P. Chidambaram. Two more blasts followed the first blast, the last being triggered at around 5:45 pm. Police reported that the bombs were planted on a bicycle. The explosives used were Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and were low in intensity. No significant arrests were made following the blasts.
2011 Mumbai Serial Blasts : 26 Dead
Accused: Indian Mujaheedin
Casualty: 26 dead and 130 injured
Commonly known as the 13/7 bombings, this was a series of three synchronized bomb blasts that took place on 13th July, 2011 in Mumbai. The blasts occurred between 6:54 pm and 7:06 pm, in a span of 12 minutes at the Opera House, Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar West localities. Improvised explosive devices with ammonium nitrate based explosives were used to carry out the blasts. Two of the three blasts were of high intensity. With the arrest of two suspects, the Mumbai police on 23rd January, claimed to have solved the case.
