On Wednesday evening, terror struck Mumbai once again as three bomb blasts targeted crowded areas, killing at least 17 people and injuring 131 others. The first explosion occurred at 6:54 PM in Zaveri Bazaar, followed by two more blasts at Opera House (6:55 PM) and Dadar (7:05 PM).
The Zaveri Bazaar explosion, which took place at Khao Gali, was followed by a high-intensity blast at Opera House, where a motorcycle was used to trigger the explosion near the JK Building. The Dadar blast occurred in a Maruti Esteem car at Kabootar Khana. The Indian Mujahideen is suspected to be behind the attacks.
The injured were rushed to multiple hospitals, including JJ Hospital, GT Hospital, KEM Hospital, and St George’s Hospital. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram addressed the nation, urging calm and stating that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guards (NSG) were involved in the investigation. He assured that security had been heightened and that forensic teams were sent to Mumbai.
This attack came just two days after the fifth anniversary of the 2006 Mumbai train blasts. The targeted locations, Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar, have been hit in previous terror incidents as well. While Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik did not confirm the perpetrators, the arrest of two Indian Mujahideen members earlier in July was noted as potentially linked to the attack.
Security alerts were issued in major cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Guwahati after the blasts.