Is Delhi on terror radar? This week's bus explosion in Haryana hints at 'something big'

New Delhi: Is national capital Delhi on terror radar? Intelligence agencies are suspecting so in the wake of a bomb blast in a bus in Haryana earlier this week.

On Thursday, eight people were injured when a bomb went off in a Haryana Roadways bus near Pipli in Kurukshetra district.

The Indian Express reported on Sunday that the bomb was packed in a yellow polybag with Western Union and a couple of lines in Thai written on it.

As per investigators, the bomb did not contain any shrapnel. It was, in fact, made of firecracker ingredients readily available in the market — potassium chlorate, sulphur and ammonium powder.

Investigators have been able to draw similarities between this week's bus blast and two similar explosions in empty trains in Panipat – again Haryana – earlier this year.

According to the newspaper, the blasts could have been carried out by the the same group or individual.

The sleuths are now concerned that the three blasts could also be a trial run for 'something big'.

They further believe that the target of this 'something big' could be Delhi and not Haryana.

“Not packing bombs with shrapnel means that the bomb-maker did not want to cause fatalities. If he could get explosives, circuit, timers and assemble them, there is no reason why he would not pack them with shrapnel. Either the bomb-maker just wants to send a message or these are trial runs for a bigger attack in the near future,” The Indian Express quoted an unnamed central security establishment officer as saying.

The officer said the message in Thai written on the polybag in which the bomb was packed has left investigators in a confused state.

“These are crucial leads. The 12 Volt battery, which is similar in the three blasts, is also being examined for its lot number. The explosives seem to have been obtained from firecrackers. Hopefully these will lead the probe team to the people behind the blasts,” he added.

According to the report, intelligence agencies suspect that the group or the individual behind the blasts could be based near the Delhi-Haryana border as all explosions have taken place in trains and buses coming from Delhi.

Further, intelligence sleuths have reasons to be worried as the bombs did not appear to have been assembled using a manual. The person who put together the bombs is believed to be properly trained.