Blast in Ajmer shrine

Thursday, October 11, 2007 (Ajmer)
The Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan, one of the holiest places in India, was rocked by a terrorist attack on Thursday evening.Reports state that two people have been killed, while 17 people have been injured in the attack.

The blast, which took place a little after 6 pm (IST) on Thursday, happened at Ahata-e-Noor, close to where prayers are offered in the Dargah, at about the time of Iftar.Preliminary reports indicate that the blast material had been placed under a tree inside the dargah.The attack on the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti comes just days before the festival of Id, and the dargah had a larger crowd than usual due to Ramzan.

Soon after the blast, the police have surrounded the shrine while shops in the neighbourhood are being shut.However, the police have urged for people to maintained calm and assured that the situation is under control. Also a team of forensic science experts has reached blast site.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the victims.Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has termed the blast a ''terror strike'' and an attempt to create communal discord.''The only reason behind such blasts in our country is to disturb the communal harmony, weaken the unity of our people and create confusion. This may be a reason behind this blast too.''''However, we are alert and we have issued a countrywide alert because the festival season is near. Id is to be celerated soon and so is Dussera and Durga Pooja. So, we are alert,'' said Shri Prakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Home.

The dargah figures in the government's list of high-value terror targets, as it is one of the holiest places of worship in India not only for the Muslims but also for the people of other faiths.In fact, on Wednesday, the Home Ministry had warned of terrorist strikes that are aimed at disrupting the communal harmony in the country.Meanwhile, the centre has asked all states to intensify vigil in view of the forthcoming festive season.All the states have been asked to maintain a tight vigil ahead of coming festivals, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta said.

High alert sounded across Rajasthan

An alert was sounded across Rajasthan tonight in the wake of the terror strike on the shrine of sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer that left two persons dead and 18 others dead. The inspector-generals of all eight police zones and the district police chiefs have been given instructions to deploy armed personnel in strength around religious places, railway stations, airports and bus stops, the Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Kanihaya Lal said here. He said additional forces were also being posted at the civil secretariat in the state capital and district collectors had been asked to assist the police. The police have also appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony. Minister for state for Education Prof. Vasudev Devnani visited the injured at the hospital. The Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje is likely to visit Ajmer tomorrow.

Mobile phone found at blast site in Ajmer dargah

A damaged mobile phone was found at the site of the explosion in the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer today, triggering suspicion among security agencies that the device could have been used to set off the blast. The damaged mobile phone has been sent for forensic examination to ascertain its international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number which could help investigators identify its user, union home ministry sources said. What has made the security agencies suspicious about the possibility of using a cell phone to trigger the explosion was that a similar method was deployed to set off the blast in Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad in may this year. Two persons were killed and 17 others injured when a low-intensity blast took place at the shrine of the 13th century sufi shrine in Ajmer this evening.