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Rediff.com  » News » Ammonium nitrate, urea used in Bengaluru blasts

Ammonium nitrate, urea used in Bengaluru blasts

By Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru
July 25, 2008 19:37 IST
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Nine explosions in one single day leaving two dead and six injured. Bengaluru on Friday was placed very high on the terror map. Even as police dig deep to find out who is behind this attack, Intelligence Bureau sources say that it could be the handiwork of the Students Islamic Movement of India and Harakat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami.

Although it was being claimed by the police initially that gelatin sticks were used, it has now become clear that the bombs were triggered off by using ammonium nitrate and urea.

Both these substances, which are commonly used as fertilizers, were packed with nuts and bolts and then attached to a timer device.

The police had initially claimed that a mobile phone was used to trigger off the explosion, but until now they have not managed to retrieve a single mobile phone.

Forensic experts told rediff.com that at present it seems as though the timer device triggered off all the nine bombs in Bengaluru on Friday.

Experts say that normally pellets are packed along with the two substances so that when the explosion takes place maximum damage is caused.

However in Friday's attack ammonium mitrate and urea were packaged along with nuts and bolts, which goes on to show that the intention was to ensure that the blasts were of low intensity, a forensic science expert also said.

Although it is not a typical trait of both the SIMI or the HuJI, the IB feels that this could well be a new pattern.

Immediately after the Hyderabad twin blasts, when the police realised that Neogel-90 was used, they thought that it may not be an act of terror as these outfits usually carried out blasts using RDX.

However further investigations showed that Neogel-90 was purchased by terrorists thanks to its easy availability.

The use of Neogel-90 was once again found during the Jaipur blasts, which killed over 60 persons. IB sources say that the main intention behind the Bengaluru blasts was to cause a scare and hence deliberately there was no use of Neogel-90 as there was no intention to cause large scale damage to life or property. 

 

 

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Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru