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14:45 GMT, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 15:45 UK

Bombs defused in Indian city

Bomb Disposal Squad officers defuse bomb in Surat 29 July 2008

Police in India say they have defused at least 14 small bombs in the city of Surat in the western state of Gujarat.

The bombs, none of which had timers attached, were found in various locations around Surat, the hub of India's textile and diamond trade.

Cities across India have been on high alert since a series of bombings in the southern city of Bangalore on Friday and Ahmedabad in Gujarat a day later.

At least 50 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the blasts.

No timers

The latest explosive devices were found hidden in small packages placed in crowded areas of Surat, senior city police official BMD Chauhan told the BBC.

Each one appears to have contained explosives, batteries and a detonator.

One bomb was found in a market, one in a lorry, one by an electrical transformer, while another was hanging from the window of a police station.

Yet another bomb was left high up in a tree - police officers had to climb on top of a lorry to retrieve it.

The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Delhi says it seems the aim was not to detonate the explosives and kill people, but rather that they would be found and ratchet up the already tense atmosphere in India's cities.

Surat lies 200km (124 miles) south of Gujarat's main commercial centre of Ahmedabad, where 17 bomb blasts killed 49 people on Saturday.

A day later, on Sunday, two car bombs were defused in Surat. The city has been on edge since then.



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Related to this story:
Death toll rises in India blasts (28 Jul 08 |  South Asia )
Ahmedabad in shock after blasts (27 Jul 08 |  South Asia )
In pictures: Aftermath of Indian bombs (27 Jul 08 |  In Pictures )
Deadly blasts strike Indian city (27 Jul 08 |  South Asia )
In pictures: Ahmedabad blast (27 Jul 08 |  In Pictures )
Bangalore police find eighth bomb (26 Jul 08 |  South Asia )
Timeline: India (24 Jul 08 |  Country profiles )


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