ISAS Briefs

The twin explosions that rocked the city of Hyderabad on 25 August 2007 are a chilling reminder that terrorism continues to thrive and that India remains as vulnerable as ever in combating this challenge. India has suffered a series of bombings and attacks in the last two years, including incidents in New Delhi (October 2005), Varanasi (March 2006), Old Delhi (April 2006), Mumbai (July 2006), Malegaon, Maharashtra (September 2006) and the train bombing in February 2007. Hyderabad itself had already been struck just three months earlier when a bomb exploded at Mecca Mosque in May 2007. All these events have claimed the lives of around 500 people and injured scores more. While different groups may have been responsible for these incidents, the incidents are bound together in one way - all of the attacks have targeted civilians in public spaces and can be linked ostensibly to communal/religious conflict.