Two Pakistan-based terrorist groups claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in the western Indian town of Pune which killed at least 10 people and injured up to 60, Indian media reported.
A man, who identified himself as Abu Jindal called the Indian Hindu newspaper on Tuesday, claimed he was a spokesman for the unknown Laskhar-e-Taiba Al Alami (International) Pakistani-based terrorist group, saying that his group was responsible for the Pune terrorist attack.
The man said the attack was a protest against New Delhi's "refusal" to discuss Kashmir issues at the forthcoming secretary-level talks with Islamabad as well as its "alliance" with the United States.
Jindal said his group split from the Laskhar-e-Taiba, also a Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist group, because it "took the orders" from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
The same day al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist leader Illyas Kashmiri sent an e-mail to a Pakistani journalist also claiming responsibility for the attack.
However, Indian intelligence sources said the Lashkar-e-Taiba was emerging as the principal suspect and the claims appeared intended to detract attention from the group.
Earlier police detained two people who have suspected links to an Islamist rebel group. Police said one or two people pretending to be customers left a backpack with a bomb, however, police did not know exactly if a timer or a remote-controlled device was used to trigger the blast.
The blast went off at around 7:00 p.m. local time on February 13 at the German Bakery snack-bar, which is known to be a popular venue for foreigners. One of the victims, according to the newspaper, was identified as a foreigner.
"A bomb disposal squad confirmed it to be a bomb blast. Details of the explosives used are being ascertained," the newspaper reported quoting a spokesperson of the Army's Southern Command as saying.
The attack is the first major one after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008 which Laskhar-e-Taiba terrorist group was responsible for.
More than 10 coordinated terror attacks hit the Indian city of Mumbai in 59 hours starting on November 26, 2008, claiming at least 166 lives and wounding more than 300 people.
NEW DELHI, February 17 (RIA Novosti)
