Hyderabad has become the target of terrorism once again, havoc and chaos were the order of the day at Dilshukhnagar, Hyderabad after five different bombs went off at five different places near the foot over bridge in Hyderabad. Over 22 people are feared dead and more than 83 people are injured. Melancholy spread all over the city after there was a deafening blast that was set off a few minutes after 7:00pm. Four other blasts followed claiming the lives of more people.

Dilshukhnagar has been a target of Indian Mujhaideen, the terrorist outfit, since a very long time. Intelligence agencies say that they have been planning a blast since 1999. One of their plans foiled in 2007 when the bomb malfunctioned in Dilshukhnagar while 42 people were killed in Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat. Yesterday's victims were not so lucky. One bomb was spotted before it exploded near Venkatadri theater and another in Saidabad area. This work which was typical of the IM style of terrorism is suspected to be their doing too.

IM earlier targeted the same area near the foot over bridge in Dilsukhnagar. They had the bombs planted on a cycle like earlier too. The suspicion is strengthened by the fact that three of the IM terrorists Imran, Tabrez and Maqbool told the special cell  of the Delhi police that Riyaz Bhaktal, the head of IM assigned them the task of terrorizing Hyderabad.

The final call to conduct the operation could have been the confirmatory “go” given by the chief of the IM and Lashkar terrorists- Hafiz Saeed, to avenge the hanging of Afzal Guru. The Lashkar-e-toiba on Feb 13 through the United Jehad Council threatened that they would avenge the killing, only four days after the hanging of the Parliament attack criminal.

Sushil Kumar Shinde and R K Singh, the home secretary would both leave for Hyderabad today to discuss the further course of action on-the-spot assessment and sharing the intelligence of the Delhi Police on Riyaz Bhaktal.

(AW- Anil)