The Hindu : Front Page : Probe points to Lashkar’s hand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
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Probe points to Lashkar’s hand

W. Chandrakanth

Sources hint at involvement of two operatives

HYDERABAD: Police investigations into last Saturday’s bomb blasts here, which have claimed 41 lives so far, point the needle of suspicion toward the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Top police sources hint at the involvement of two LeT operatives, who functioned from Hyderabad.

Though it is not conclusively established, the police believe the operatives could have planted the improvised bombs at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat at Koti minutes before they exploded.

The police are also investigating the connection of these operatives with the Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI), a loosely knit outfit known to take into its fold elements from other terror groups such as the LeT, the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

These outfits do not work in airtight compartments and often share information, men and other resources.

Definite clues

Intelligence agencies are biding their time before closing in on them. “We have two definite clues. And we cannot go wrong,” these sources asserted. They suspect that one of the two operatives could be an outsider.

Neogel-90 supply

The intelligence agencies are also probing into the source of supply of Neogel-90, an ammonium nitrate-based emulsifier, which has reportedly gone into manufacture of the two clock-based bombs.

The manufacture and distribution of this Class II explosive has increased after the ban imposed by the Centre on its possession, sale and the use of nitroglycerin-based explosives three years ago. The police believe that at least 73 facilities across the country are manufacturing such explosives after the ban.

The police are also probing whether there was a specific reason to target the ‘softest of soft targets’ such as a tourist spot and an eatery.

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