India in state of alert after terrorist attack

A terrorist attack yesterday morning on the Indian parliament in New Delhi puts India on a state of alert. 12 killed and 22 hospitalised.

The attack was carried out by 6 terrorists, supposedly Kashmiri separatists, at 9.15 MSK, 11.15 local time. All six terrorists died in the attack, along with five policemen and a gardener, according to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Pramud Mahajan. 22 people are reported to have been taken to hospital, most of these being policemen.

The attack was carried out with grenades and bombs, one of which exploded in the hands of a terrorist. Another explosion was heard inside the parliament building and a car bomb left outside the building was detonated by police in a controlled explosion.

Some ministers were inside the building, along with the Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee and opposition leader Sonia Gandhi. All those inside the parliament building were ushered to safety by the police.

Pakistan has condemned the attack, which is believed to have been carried out by Kashmiri separatists, fighting for an independent Islamic Republic of Kashmir, one third of which is inside Indian territory. On 1st October, another attack on the state assembly building in the capital of Kashmir, Srinagar, killed 29 people. The Islamic terrorist group, Jaishi-e-Mohammad (Mohammed’s Army) claimed responsibility for that attack.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru