2010 Varanasi bombing

Terrorist bombing attack in Varanasi, India March 2014 March 2014 2010 Varanasi bombing Varanasi, India Sheetla Ghat 7 December 2010 18:20 IST UTC+05:30 Bombing 2 38 Indian Mujahideen The 2010 Varanasi bombing was a blast that occurred on 7 December 2010, in one of the holiest Hindu cities, Varanasi. The explosion occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the sunset aarti, the evening prayer ritual to the holy river, Ganges had commenced, on these stone steps leading to it, where thousands of worshipers and tourists had gathered.http://archive.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2010/12/08/lethal_blast_starts_stampede_in_india/ Lethal blast starts stampede in India 8 December 2010 Associated Press 9 December 2010 It killed two people including a two-year-old girl who was sitting on her mother's lap. The mother was one of three critically injured out of the 38 injured. In the ensuing panic after the blast, a railing broke causing a stampede leading to an increase in the number of injuries. The bomb was hidden inside a milk container on the Sheetla Ghat.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7329201.html Police question brothers in India holy city blast 7 December 2010 Houston Chronicle 9 December 2010 The blast occurred a day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, in which a mosque was demolished at Ayodhya leading to nationwide religious riots killing over 2,000 people. Subsequently, the Islamist militant group, Indian Mujahideen, claimed responsibility of the blast, via email to Indian media. This was the second terrorism-related incident in the city which was rocked by the serial blasts of 2006, in which 28 people were killed, it included an explosion at the Sankatmochan Temple, some two kilometres away.2010 Varanasi bomb blast CNN, 7 December 2010.https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/1207/Explosion-rocks-one-of-India-s-holiest-cities Explosion rocks one of India's holiest cities 7 December 2010 The Christian Science Monitor 9 December 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110120071649/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/1207/Explosion-rocks-one-of-India-s-holiest-cities 20 January 2011 live dmy Sitala Ghat is the southern extension of the Dashashwamedh Ghat, and its stone steps lead to Sitala Mata Temple. Also close by is the historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the Shiva temple which has one of the 12 Jyotirlinga of India. The present ghat was re-furbished in c. 1740 by Pt. Narayana Diksit the preceptor of Peshwa Baji Rao I, the Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire.http://varanasi.nic.in/ghat/ghat21-40.html Ghats of Varanasi – 40: Sitala Ghat Varanasi Official website 10 December 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110716223537/http://varanasi.nic.in/ghat/ghat21-40.html 16 July 2011 dead dmy-all right|thumb|150px|Location of Varanasi in India Aftermath thumb|210px|Evening Ganga Aarti at the adjacent Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi in 2008, with people watching from the steps above. After the incident 20 injured were admitted to BHU Hospital, 13 in Kabir Chaura Hospital, while 4 were sent to Heritage Hospital in the city. Six foreigners tourist were also injured including an Italian, Alessandro Mantelli, who was later said to be out of danger, French national Rachael, Ki Taro from Japan, South Korean Wan Sen Kim, Italian Livio DiMajo and a German citizen, Ozel.http://www.zeenews.com/news673011.html Terror strikes Varanasi: 1 killed 8 December 2010 Zee News 15 December 2010 The death of the Italian tourist was wrongly reported in some media agencies, while he was recuperating in a city hospital.http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/specials/cwg/Story/122574/varanasi-blast-triggers-a-blame-game.html Varanasi blast triggers a blame game 9 December 2010 India Today 15 December 2010 8 February 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110208184458/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/specials/cwg/Story/122574/varanasi-blast-triggers-a-blame-game.html dead The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group, Indian Mujahideen, via email.https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/world/asia/08bomb.html India on Alert as Bomb Hits Hindu Holy City 7 December 2010 The New York Times 9 December 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110120121843/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/world/asia/08bomb.html 20 January 2011 live dmy Pakistan-based Indian Mujahideen behind Varanasi attack: India Sify.com, 9 December 2010.Child killed, 20 injured in Varanasi blast: IM claims responsibilityJune 2017 InternetArchiveBot yes Central Chronicle, 7 December 2010. In an email, dated 6 December, which was traced to WiFi connections in the Vashi suburb in Navi Mumbai by the Mumbai Police, the Indian Mujahideen claimed that had carried out the blast as a revenge for the supposedly "biased" Babri Masjid verdict of 30 September 2010.http://www.indianexpress.com/news/IM-sends-email---biased--Babri-verdict-its-theme/721703 IM sends email, 'biased' Babri verdict its theme 8 December 2010 The Indian Express 9 December 2010 http://www.hindustantimes.com/IM-claims-blast-says-it-s-retaliation-for-Babri-verdict/H1-Article1-635634.aspx https://web.archive.org/web/20101210053633/http://www.hindustantimes.com/IM-claims-blast-says-it-s-retaliation-for-Babri-verdict/H1-Article1-635634.aspx dead 10 December 2010 IM claims blast, says it's retaliation for Babri verdict 7 December 2010 Hindustan Times 9 December 2010 http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Varanasi-blast-Terror-mail-traced-to-Vashi-Dr-Shahnawaz-main-suspect/721924/ Varanasi blast: Mail from Vashi suggests IM alive in Mumbai 8 December 2010 The Indian Express 10 December 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20121010224021/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Varanasi-blast-Terror-mail-traced-to-Vashi-Dr-Shahnawaz-main-suspect/721924/ 10 October 2012 dead dmy-all The bomb blast occurred at one of the steps of the Sitala ghat leading to the famous Sheetla Devi temple, which was surrounded by devotees and foreign tourists. After the incident the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati and Union Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram visited the site, and appealed for peace. A national security alert was sounded and police intensified patrols in major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Elsewhere in Hyderabad and Cyberabad the intelligence alerted local police on possible attacks on Dutch nationals in the city, after intercepting SMSs opposing the anti-Islam Dutch film Fitna (Devilry) by Dutch politician Geert Wilders.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Terror-alert-against-attack-on-Dutch-nationals/articleshow/7073533.cms Terror alert against attack on Dutch nationals? TNN 10 December 2010 The Times of India 10 December 2010 On 11 December, a 50-year-old woman, visiting the town to watch the Ganga Aarti on the Dasashwamedh Ghat, succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Varanasi-blast-victim-succumbs/articleshow/7085941.cms Varanasi blast victim succumbs 12 December 2010 The Times of India 15 December 2010 Investigations The following day, Mumbai Police investigations showed that Pakistan-based Bhatkal brothers, Riyaz and Iqbal, the chiefs of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) being the brains behind the explosion, which was carried out by Dr Shahnawaz presently based both in Dubai and Pakistan. He is the brother of IM foot soldier Mohammed Saif, who was arrested in the Batla House encounter on 19 September 2008 in which IM commander Atiq Amin was killed, while Dr Shahnawaz along with Khalid, Abu Rashid and Bada Sajid or Mohammed Sajid had fled to Nepal and now hold Nepalese passports.http://www.indianexpress.com/news/varanasi-blast-terror-mail-traced-to-vashi;-dr-shahnawaz-main-suspect/721924/ Varanasi blast: Dr Shahnawaz, Bhatkal brothers emerge as main suspects after mail traced to Vashi 8 December 2010 The Indian Express 10 December 2010 On 8 December, three people, two identified as Shahnawaz and Assadullah, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh state Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and are linked to the Delhi serial blasts as well as the Batla House encounter, both in 2008. The arrests suggested the revival of the Indian Mujahiddin terror outfit, which was dormant after the last encounter in 2008, a fact that is worrisome both for the state as well as the central government. The group however was previously suspected to be involved in the September 2010 Jama Masjid attack, in which two tourists were wounded in a machine gun attack, just before the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.http://ibnlive.in.com/news/varanasi-blast-reemergence-of-im-worries-govt/136914-3.html?from=tn https://web.archive.org/web/20121013220901/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/varanasi-blast-reemergence-of-im-worries-govt/136914-3.html?from=tn dead 13 October 2012 Varanasi blast: re-emergence of IM worries govt 9 December 2010 CNN-IBN 9 December 2010 In the subsequent investigations at the site, which was cordoned off soon after the incident and screened by the investigating agencies, improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered from a metal dustbin, though no residue of the explosives, remains of any circuit or detonator were found, the device did not have shrapnel in it, thus there were no burn or shrapnel injuries, and all the injured were hit by pieces of wall that broke following the explosion, all suggesting the use of plastique explosive, PETN, TNT or C4.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Varanasi-blast-marks-arrival-of-plastic-bombs/articleshow/7090386.cms Varanasi blast marks arrival of plastic bombs 13 December 2010 The Times of India 15 December 2010 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/No-shrapnels-in-Varanasi-bomb-Police/articleshow/7064110.cms No shrapnels in Varanasi bomb: Police 8 December 2010 The Times of India 15 December 2010 Early results revealed used of Semtex, a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN); however, the final report of the Forensic Science Institute, Gujarat is awaited.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/IM-used-Semtex-in-Varanasi-blast-Report/articleshow/7085947.cms IM used Semtex in Varanasi blast: Report 12 December 2010 The Times of India 15 December 2010 A writer for The Diplomat suggested that the blast not having occurred on the anniversary of Babri Mosque destruction on 6 December, and the shoddy design of the attack, were indicative of the weakening of the Indian Mujahideen due to police action.https://thediplomat.com/indian-decade/2010/12/20/signals-from-the-varanasi-blast/ https://archive.today/20120721153626/http://thediplomat.com/indian-decade/2010/12/20/signals-from-the-varanasi-blast/ dead 21 July 2012 Signals From the Varanasi Blast Rajeev Sharma 20 December 2010 The Diplomat 20 December 2010 References 30em External links Photo Gallery https://web.archive.org/web/20101208211733/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/2876.html 8 December 2010 . 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