Winning the War on Terror?

Mumbai Blasts Kill at Least 137 People, Injure 450

July 11 (Bloomberg) — Mumbai, India's commercial hub, was hit by seven blasts, killing as many as 137 people and injuring 450 in the city's worst terror attack in 13 years. The blasts targeted the suburban rail network during the evening rush hour.

The blasts occurred in a 30-minute span starting just after 6 p.m. local time along the railway lines and stations linking the western suburbs, the city's police commissioner A.N. Roy said in a televised interview. The explosions destroyed rail cars, forcing a suspension of some services.

This is the worst terrorist attack in Mumbai since almost 200 people died in a series of blasts in 1993 that targeted the Bombay Stock Exchange and other commercial landmarks. Mumbai is home to India's biggest equity and money markets, the central bank, companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd. and the country's busiest airport.

The blasts in Mumbai ``are shocking and cowardly attempts to spread a feeling of fear and terror among our citizens, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in New Delhi. ``I condemn these shameful acts aimed at our peace-loving people. I reiterate our commitment to fighting terror in all its forms.

The blasts have taken place in Khar, Mahim, Mira Road, Jogeshwari, Borivali, Matunga and Bandra, Roy said. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the blasts.

Some parts of the city's suburban railway network, used by about 6.1 million people daily, were shut after the blasts. The injured have been taken to the city's hospitals.

`Prompt Treatment'

``Our priority now is to ensure that every injured person gets prompt treatment,'' said Johny Joseph, Mumbai's municipal commissioner, said in a phone interview.

The airport at Mumbai, India's busiest, has been put on ``high alert, Praful Patel, India's civil aviation minister, said in a phone interview. ``We have to remain alert. Security is being tightened all over, Patel said.

Passengers jumped out of carriages packed with commuters during the evening rush hour, the Aaj Tak television channel said, citing eyewitnesses.

The Mumbai explosions came after grenade attacks earlier today by suspected Islamic terrorists that killed eight people in Srinagar, the summer capital of India's northern state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian capital New Delhi was rocked by three explosions on Oct. 29 last year that killed at least 59 people. The blasts took place in crowded market areas with people shopping for the festivals of Diwali and Id.

Mumbai generates about 5 percent of India's gross domestic product and contributes more than one-third of the country's tax revenues, according to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. More than 10 million daily passenger trips are provided by the suburban railway and the state-run bus service, according to the authority.

Original article posted here.