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India: Foreign links to bombings
![]() A policeman stands guard as shoppers leave a market that was hit by a bomb on Saturday. RELATEDSPECIAL REPORT
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YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSNEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India's prime minister has told Pakistan's president there are indications of foreign links to the New Delhi bombings and reminded him of his country's pledge to fight terrorism. "We continue to be disturbed and dismayed at indications of the external linkages of terrorist groups with (Saturday's) bombings," Manmohan Singh said during the conversation with Pervez Musharraf on Monday, according to a press release from his office. The release also said Singh told Musharraf that "India expects Pakistan to act against terrorism directed at India." The Pakistani leader had called Singh to express his condolences for the 59 people killed and 210 wounded in the attacks, which targeted two marketplaces and a bus in New Delhi on Saturday. Contacted by CNN, a spokesman for Singh declined to elaborate on the press release. At a news conference in Islamabad, Musharraf called the New Delhi bombings a "most dastardly terrorist attack." "I would like to give the total and unequivocal support from Pakistan in any investigation the Indians would like to carry out," he said. Indian analysts have blamed Pakistani-based Islamic groups fighting to wrest Kashmir from India for the blasts. Pakistan and India have fought two wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir, but in recent years have made bids at peace. Government officials have described the blasts as the work of terrorists, but named no groups. They are still investigating several leads on the attacks and are checking an obscure Kashmiri group's claim of responsibility. Indian police have said they are investigating reports of a group called Islami Inqalabi Mahaz, which reportedly contacted media in Indian-controlled Kashmir to claim responsibility for the blasts. Ajai Sahni, an expert on terrorism in South Asia, told CNN that Inqalabi Mahaz is likely a front group for the better-known terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has been known for carrying out previous attacks. Police offered a reward equivalent to $2,300 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. Many families were faced with the grim task of identifying remains or tracing missing relatives and friends, but the 14 million inhabitants of India's capital New Delhi were getting back on their feet ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and Eid al-Fitr, the biggest festival in the Muslim year. "It's a very sad day for all of us because Delhi is celebrating a festive season," Delhi's chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, told CNN. Indian authorities had warned of the possibility of violence during the biggest festival of the Hindu year, which marks the triumph of good over evil. Such warnings have become standard in recent years. "This kind of cynical attack on the people of India is just not acceptable," Singh's media adviser, Dr. Sanjay Baru, told CNN. Despite the weekend attacks, India and Pakistan agreed to open five crossings along the Line of Control in Kashmir, in an effort to aid victims of the massive October 8 earthquake. New Delhi was the site of a deadly attack on the parliament in December 2001. Indians blamed that attack on Islamic militants backed by Pakistan, which denied the charge. The parliament attack led to a military standoff by both nuclear-armed nations at their borders. India's stock markets rose Monday, despite the attacks, according to The Associated Press. The 30-share benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange, or Sensex, rose 2.7 percent to close at 7,789. On the rival National Stock Exchange, the 50-stock S&P Nifty also ended up 2.4 percent. CNN's John Raedler and Ram Ramgopal in New Delhi and Syed Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad contributed to this report.
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