Probing it: Forensic experts gather evidence at Adugudi Road in Bangalore yesterday. pics/vinod kumar t

Nine low intensity blasts in seven different places rocked the IT capital of India yesterday afternoon killing two people and injuring several others. The Bangalore police have termed it as terror attack.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Gopal B Hosur said that the blast was carried out with timer device and bolts and nuts were sued instead of pellets.

Just to scare

"The motive of the attack is to scare the people. The perpetrators carried out the attack to destabilise law and order in the city so that the growth of the city as IT hub, would be curtailed," he said.

However the investigating agency analysed that the message by perpetrators is clear. They wanted to send a message that it's a trailer and they can carry out more severe attacks.

Blast areas

The first two blasts occurred at Adugodi at 1.30 pm behind the famous Forum mall, which is a major shopping destination in Bangalore.

The blast at Madiwala occured near the check post at 1.50 pm which was followed by blasts at Nayandahalli at a bus shelter at 2.10 pm.

Between 2.10 and 2.30, low intensity blasts were reported near Mallya Hospital, Richmond Circle and Langford Road.

The woman who died in the blasts has been identified as Lakshmi. She, along with her husband Ravi, was standing at the bus stop when the explosion occurred.

Reports suggest that she was hit on the head by a bolt. Her husband was also injured in the attack.

Anbu, a labourer, was reportedly killed at Adugodi. He was on his way to a hotel for lunch when the blast took place.

Timers used

Preliminary investigations show that the bombs were attached to a timer device and were triggered off by a mobile phone — a pattern similar to the twin blasts in Hyderabad and Ajmer.

While the Intelligence Bureau is not ruling out SIMI's involvement, they maintain that it is too early to blame anyone.

Attacks on Karnataka

2001
One of the first terror strikes witnessed in Karnataka was by the Deendar Anjuman in the year 2001 when a series of blasts went off in different parts of the state.

2006
On December 28, 2006, terrorists struck IISC campus where a professor lost his life. It was only in late 2007 that some progress was made in the investigations with the arrest of Riazuddin Nasir in North Karnataka.

2008
In May 2008, a blast was triggered by a remote controlled device in the Judicial Magistrate Court Hall where the proceedings pertaining to the terror suspects and alleged SIMI activists were being conducted for the last few months.