Terror rocks Pink City, 15 killed in serial blasts

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Terror struck Jaipur tonight when six serial blasts rocked crowded areas including one near a temple in the space of a few minutes leaving at least 15 killed and scores injured.

Police sources said that 15 persons perished in the attack that triggered a stampede in the affected areas in the walled city which are frequented by foreign tourists. Six women were among the dead.

It is for the first time that the Pink City is coming under terror radar. Unofficial figures put the toll at around 20. Scores of wounded people were ferried to several hospitals soon after the low-intensity blasts hit at Tripolia Bazar, where large number of devotees turned up at a Hanuman temple, Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal in the walled part of the city. Rajasthan director general of police A S Gill said it was “obviously a terror attack.” Police sources said the attack was meticulously planned and the first blast occured around 7.40 PM and the remaining blasts were set off in quick succession.

The emergency ward at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital was splattered with blood as scores of dead and injured lay there. Security was stepped up at the Ajmer dargah, where a terror blast had taken place seven months ago, following the blasts in Jaipur.

Forensic teams of Rajasthan police are examining the blast sites to get a clue about the nature of explosives used in triggering the blasts, DGP Gill said.

He said the manner in which the blasts had been set off and the targets picked up made it clear that these were terror attacks.Gill said it appeared that cycles were used to trigger the low-intensity blasts.

Mumbai and Delhi were put on high alert. Both President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed for calm.