2006 Mumbai Train attacks

By:Megan Feldges
Summary of the attack
● Seven blasts ripped through the trains in the evening
rush hour on July 11th, 2006.
● Killing 189 people and injuring more than 800.
● The blasts took place on trains and at stations.
● 12 men were convicted of the killings connecting to the
Islamic militants backed by Pakistan.
Summary of the attack con’t
● The bombs were packed into seven pressure cookers and put
in bags, and the coordinated explosions were detonated
within 15 minutes of each other.
● The blasts took place in Matunga, Khar, Mahim,
Jogeshwari, Borivali, and Mira Road, with most on moving
trains and two at stations
● The bombs appeared to have targeted first-class
compartments, as commuters were returning home from the
financial district.
Who commited the attack?
● 12 men were convicted of the killings connecting to the
Islamic militants backed by Pakistan.
● More than 200 witnesses were examined during the 8 year
long trial
● Pakistan has rejected allegations and said India has
given no evidence of Pakistani involvement in the
attacks.
Motivation for the attack?
Police say the attack was carried out for the dissatisfaction
of Muslims at the behest of Pakistan-based Islamic Militants.
Named the group Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Pakistan-based leader,
Azeem Cheema, as the prime conspitor.
Results of the attack.
● Deaths: 209
● Non-fatal injuries: about 714
● 5 of the killers sent to death sentence
● Other 7 sentenced to life in prison
Results of the attack con’t
● Heightened security measures
○ In wake of the blasts, the Indian government tightened security in railway stations. Under new
restrictions passed by the Ministry of Railways, non-passengers would no longer be allowed
on the railway platforms after July 2006.
○ Other major security steps include installation of close circuit televisions inside the stations for
round-the-clock vigil and installation of metal detectors.
Response to the attack
● In India, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was quick to call for calm in Mumbai, while President
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, and president of the Indian National
Congress Sonia Gandhi also issued statements regarding the bombings in Mumbai.
● Officials, from Pakistan which has long feuded with India, and the United Kingdom, which was the
target of similar attacks the previous July, were among those who denounced the attacks in Mumbai
as well as terrorism as a whole. Several terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and al-Qaeda,
made comments — both in condemnation and condonation — about the attacks as well.
Response to the attacks con’t
● A memorial service was held in Mumbai on 18 July at 6:25 pm local time exactly one week after the
blasts. President Abdul Kalam, his hand raised to his forehead in salute, led the two-minute silence
as people lit candles and placed wreaths at Mahim station, one of the seven places on the suburban
rail network hit by bombs. Sirens sounded across Mumbai marking the memorial service.
● People gathered at the site of the blasts, in railway stations on the city's Western Line, traffic came
to a halt, It interrupted films and observed a moment of silence to pay homage to the victims.
Works- cited
“Mumbai Train Blasts: Death for Five for 2006 Bombings.” BBC News, BBC, 30 Sept. 2015,
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34398810.

SARITHA RAI and SOMINI SENGUPTA. “Series of Bombs Explode on 7 Trains in India, Killing Scores.” The
New York Times, The New York Times, 12 July 2006,
www.nytimes.com/2006/07/12/world/asia/12india.html.

Mumbai, Reuters in. “Mumbai Train Bombings: Indian Court Sentences Five to Death for 2006 Attacks.”
The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 30 Sept. 2015,
www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/30/mumbai-train-bombings-indian-court-sentences-five-to-death-
for-2006-attacks.
agencies, Staff and. “Mumbai Train Blasts 'Kill 160'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 July
2006, www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jul/11/india.travelnews.