INDIA: In the wake of today’s serial blasts that occurred during a Jehovah’s Witness prayer meeting at a convention centre in Kalamassery, Kerala, security has been stepped up in the nation’s capital and Mumbai.
Delhi Police have increased security in crowded areas following the incident, while Mumbai Police have issued a high alert due to the festive season, upcoming cricket matches, and the Kerala blasts. Also, security had already been tightened at Chabad House, a Jewish centre in Mumbai, due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
“The Special Cell of the Delhi Police is in constant touch with intelligence agencies and is taking any input seriously. Security arrangements are being made in crowded places,” Delhi Police stated in a statement.
Shortly after today’s prayer meeting started, a string of explosions rocked the convention centre, leaving one person dead and thirty-six injured. Some 2,000 people attended the conference, which took place in Kalamassery, some 10 miles from Kochi. Today was the last day of a three-day prayer meeting that commenced on October 27.
The Kerala Police reported the use of an improvised explosive device (IED) in the incident and announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case. According to sources, the explosive device was concealed within a lunchbox.
Following the series of explosions, Home Minister Amit Shah held a phone conversation with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Shah instructed the heads of the NIA (National Investigation Agency) and NSG (National Security Guard), both central agencies with expertise in counterterrorism investigations and operations, to deploy their specialised teams to the scene for a thorough enquiry.
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