Terror strikes Pune; 9 killed, 45 injured

PUNE: Terror struck Pune on Saturday night as a powerful bomb ripped apart a popular bakery near a Jewish prayer house, killing nine people, including five women and a foreigner, and injuring 45 in the first major attack since 26/11 carnage.

The improvised explosive device, kept in an unattended packet outside the kitchen of the German bakery, exploded at around 7.30 pm when a waiter attempted to open it.

"It is most probably a terror attack. Forensic experts of CBI and team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials are being airlifted to Pune to assist the state police in the investigations," Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said.

The German bakery is a favourite food joint for foreigners, located close to Osho Ashram which had been surveyed by Pakistani-origin American David Coleman Headley, a Lashkar-e Taiba operative.

Pune's Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh nine people were killed in the blast, five of them women, and 45 injured.



Quoting information from the state government, Pillai told mediapersons in New Delhi that one each of the killed and the injured are foreigners said but could not give the nationality.

The rest, he said, were believed to be Indians but the situation could change.

U K Bansal, Special Secretary in Union Home Ministry, said four of the injured were foreigners.

Asked whether Pakistani hand was suspected behind the attack, Pillai said he could not say anything till forensic examination was over.