Police at work at the blast venue at Malleshwaram
Bangalore April 17,2013: Bangalore’s cool and calm Malleshwaram saw an unusual Wednesday Morning, as a powerful Bomb exploded, injuring 16 people including eight policemen. There was a moment of panic within city, but recovered soon after high alert operations of police, media and social media activists. There was a report of another explosion at Hebbal, later found incorrect.
VSK-Karnataka was the first news centre to report such a happening at Malleshwaram this morning via twitter.
Intelligence officials told that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used this morning, but were not clear on how the bomb was triggered. A large fire followed the explosion. Several vehicles including the
police van were gutted. Karnataka’s state elections are scheduled for May 5, so a police van was posted outside the BJP branch in Malleshwaram, a crowded residential neighbourhood which also hosts several temples.
Rashtreeya Swayamsevak Sangh has condemned this terror attack. ‘We condemn this barbaric attack on civilians, countering terrorism should be our first priority’, said Prof BV Sridharswamy, RSS Sah-Pranth Karyavah to VSK-Karnataka.
Bangalore Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said the explosives appear to have been placed on a motorcycle, but so far, he said, there are no details of the sort of material that was used.
Karnataka’s Home Minister R Ashok described the blast as “terrorist activity” and said BJP workers were the target.
The policemen who were injured today were on duty on a day when a lot of activity was expected at the BJP office because it is the last day for candidates to file their nomination papers for the state elections.
“The injuries are not very serious and nobody is critically injured, said L Pachau, the Director General of Karnataka.
A team from the National Investigation Agency, which has expertise in handling terror attacks, has inspected the site.
