This is the statement issued by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on landing in Mumbai today to visit the sites of Wednesday's bomb blasts:

'I cannot find words to condemn the barbaric acts of terror that resulted in the senseless killing and injuring of innocent people in Mumbai yesterday. I understand the shock and outrage of the people of Mumbai. I share their pain, anguish and anger.

'I have come here in solidarity with the people of Mumbai. I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to those who have suffered in this terrible tragedy. The need of the hour is to look after their medical and other immediate needs. I have asked the state government to ensure that all support is provided so that these families can overcome the tragedy and rebuild their lives.

'We have already announced ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakhs to the next of kin of those killed and Rs 1 lakh to those injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. The central government and the state government have acted quickly to deal with the situation.

'I have asked the chief minister of Maharashtra and the Union home minister to continue to coordinate their efforts and resources to relentlessly pursue the perpetrators. They must be brought to justice quickly and be subject to the rule of law that they have sought to subvert.

'I seek the cooperation of all citizens in this effort. We owe this to the grieving families. I assure the people that the government will do everything in its power to prevent such attacks in the future.

'In the final analysis, it is the unity and strength of the people that will defeat these efforts to divide our people and destroy our civilized way of life.

A day later, still no conclusive leads on who's responsible for the deaths of 17 innocents in the Mumbai serial blasts, though ATS chief Rakesh Maria promises leads soon.

Rediff.com has been covering the blasts extensively and while you have a look, stay with us through much of the night for all the news as it happens.

Rain has NOT washed away evidence at blast sites

Braveheart Varsha makes it back from nightmare

How the Indian Mujahideen tries to confuse investigators

Why terror foot soldiers are never nabbed

Why ammonium nitrate is so popular with terrorists

Maharashtra's intelligence setup needs a revamp

The online samaritan who tried to help Mumbai

Eyewitness speak: My first experience with terror

PS. PM, Sonia have still not reached Mumbai

A policeman keeps vigil at the site of one of the three blasts near Opera House this morning. Fears that crucial evidence would be washed away were unfounded after ATS chief Rakesh Maria said today that huge amount of debris had been collected from all the three spots and that it was being sifted for clues. The ATS and the Crime Branch are investigating the blasts.

Reuters/Danish Siddiqui

Yes! Digvijay Singh is indeed speaking.

Says India's is better (fewer strikes) than Pakistan in terms of terror attacks and even USA went through 9/11.

And that makes it OK?

The insurance industry does not see the possibility of any hike in premium for terror cover in the aftermath of serial blasts in Mumbai that has claimed 18 lives
and left over 150 injured.

But how many of us have terror insurance?

On Rediff.com, Vicky Nanjappa's report: From the hands of the farmer as a common fertiliser, in the hands of a terrorist as a deadly explosive/

Read 

Even as ATS chief Rakesh Maria said that three cases were registered by the ATS in the Mumbai serial blasts, the government today did not rule out the possibility of the involvement of a suicide bomber.

It also pointed to the few Indian Mujahideen militants arrested some time ago were being interrogated. Government also said "as of now" it has no ground to link yesterday's terror with any elements across the border. 

"The NSG DG has informed that a body with circuit has been found from one of the sites. The body was found near the explosion site. We are not ruling out anything," Union Home Secretary R K Singh said.

Meanwhile, read Brahma Chellaney's piece in the Daily Beast on the Mumbai terror attacks. Chellaney is a respected professor of strategic studies at the privately funded Center for Policy Research in New Delhi.

It is not a mere coincidence that Mumbai, India's commercial hub, has repeatedly been struck by terrorists since 1993. Mumbai has become the favored target because the terrorist aim is to undermine India's booming economy and its status as a rising power by rattling foreign investors and driving away tourists.

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Maria says: At this juncture we would like to assure the people that no effort will be spared. Have faith and trust in the police. So far no case has gone undetected.

"We will ensure that no matter where the accused is, we will identify and bring them to book.

"We will keeping you posted on a regular basis on the progress being made. I would lilke to conclude with a request that please do not give in to rumour mongering."

Maria says that prima facie it appears to be a timer device, but investigations by forensic experts are still on. Huge amount of debris has been collected from all the three spots; it's being sifted and results are expected, but will take time for a conclusive opinion, he added.

He reiterates that the ATS/Crime Branch needs time and and based on scientific and forensic evidence results will be out.

Maria is however mum on the exact course of investigation -- who or what organisation will be questioned.

Himanshu Roy, Jt Commissioner of Police (Crime) represented the Mumbai police.

ATS chief Rakesh Maria says all angles are being considered in investigations.

Promises that the accused will be identified, but warns that instant results can't be expected.

Says the CCTV footage from all three locations are being looked at by the Crime Branch and the ATS.

ATS chief Rakesh Maria speaks:

• ATS taking over the investigation of the cases. ATS and Crime Branch has formed a joint team. Central agencies also helping in the probe.
• Close to a dozen police teams formed.
• Maximum casualties are from the Opera House blast.
• Forensic experts say explosive used was ammonium nitrate.
• Will have to wait a little longer for details of the forensic opinion to be given because rain has made investigations difficult.

Japan expressed "shock and outrage" at the casualties caused by the terror attacks. "Japan firmly condemns such acts of terrorism as inexcusable. Japan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and strongly reiterates that no act of terrorism can be justified," the Press Secretary in the
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said, "Mumbai is a brave city that has already known great sorrow at the hands of terrorists, including in the 2008 attacks in which two Australians lost their lives.

"Australia stands with Mumbai and the people of India today. We know their strength and are confident they will meet this latest challenge with courage and determination to stand against such senseless acts of violence," she said.

There you go... words strength, courage pop up again.

A break from news of the Mumbai blasts to tell you that former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks will attend a committee hearing the probing phone hacking scandal. News Corp's boss Rupert Murdoch has also agreed to attend.

Read

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan: condemned the Mumbai serial blasts and claimed no clue had emerged yet to suggest the involvement of  "banned Muslim outfits" in the incident. However, the former Union Minister was vocal in
demanding a ban on right-wing organisations like the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal for their "involvement" in various terror attacks across the country.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan: "Obviously the target of the attackers was to kill as many people to create terror and panic among the people
Said that the UPA was immersed in corruption and people were waiting for an opportunity to oust it.

UK Bansal, Secretary, Internal Security says: No leads on who is responsible, or on any organisation.

Remember, the government has been careful to state that no single or specific leads were found yet, on who was resposible for the blasts.

What the government says is that...

• 1 kg of ammonium nitrate was used in the Opera House blast, the most powerful.
• 400  to 600 gm of the explosive was used in Zaveri Bazaar
• And 200 gm in Dadar.

... Soon, Vicky Nanjappa's story on Ammonium Nitrate

Justice, Afghanistan style: Assassin who killed President Karzai's brother hanged in public square. The pictures in this Sun story may be disturbing.

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Here's what's expected during the discussions with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday.

The Indo-US strategic dialogue will focus on the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan and nuclear cooperation apart from counter-terrorism.

Charge d'Affaires Peter Burleigh said both sides are committed to a "long-term" partnership which covers almost every "conceivable" issue from education to counter-terrorism in the bilateral relationship.

Asked if the US had any intelligence input on yesterday's attack, the envoy said, "Not to the best of (my) knowledge" while noting that apart from exchanging views on various groups and challenges that confront both the countries, the US shares any kind of information that "impacts security of India".

A brief interruption in news on the blasts to tell you this...

A bank is bound to inform the consumer well in advance before blocking his credit card, a district consumer forum has held while directing the ICICI bank to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to its client for not doing so and putting him in an embarrassing situation.

A District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum bench held ICICI bank guilty of deficiency in service and also criticised the private bank for misbehaviour of its staff with the consumer.

Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore reports:

Though Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had earlier stated that the injured victims of Mumbai serial blasts would be treated free, a private hospital has asked one such patient to pay his medical bills.

Saifee Hospital at Charni Road in south Mumbai had asked Vallabhbhai Gadhiya, who was injured in the blast, to pay Rs 25,000.

Though hospital authorities didn't ask for the money directly, they told Gadhiya's family that it would be 'nice' if they paid the amount.

While speaking about the incident with the media, Gadhiya's brother Ramesh furnished the bill issued by the hospital as a proof of his claim.

From the Pakistani paper The International News, Amarjeet Singh Dulat of RAW and Asad Durrani of the ISI write

Post-9/11 and post-26/11 Mumbai, one would think that exchange of intelligence information among friendly agencies was occurring as a matter of course'"to help fill information gaps, to verify sources and substance, and to get a 'second opinion.' However, as any report on intelligence reform or failures shows, the absence of coordination, even among their own agencies, remains problematic.

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Rediff.com's Prasanna Zore sends this.

Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, who visited the victims injured in the Mumbai blasts in Saifee Hospital at Charni Road today, refused to make any political comments.

He refused to comment on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's controversial remark equating the terror attack in Mumbai to the violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying, "This is not the place to speak on such an issue."

Thackeray, who was accompanied by senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi, said that he didn't consider it right to go inside the ICU, as several critically injured blast victims were being treated there.

Where's Raj? Not a peep out of the MNS boss and Uddhav's warring cousin, since the blasts.

Just in: The PM has announced ex-gratia assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each for those seriously injured.

Incidentally, the PM is expected in Mumbai at 5.30 pm today.

Stating that the Mumbai serial blasts "renew questions" about Pakistan's crackdown on militants, the US media has pointed out that the latest attacks in India's financial hub had all the markings of LeT which also carried out the 2008 terror strikes there.

While Indian investigators begin to sift through the wreckage of three terrorist bombings in Mumbai, suspicions have immediately turned to Pakistan-connected militant groups, ProPublica said."Whatever the investigation uncovers -- and it's still very early -- one thing is clear: Those groups still operate despite international pressure on Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks of nearly three years ago," said the report.

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BJP senior leader LK Advani holds a press conference in Mumbai.

Says zero tolerance is needed to deal with terror attacks and targets Pakistan, saying "we must rethink our strategy."

Calling the attacks a failure in policy, Advani said Mumbai has become a favourite target for terrorists and the only way to deal with terror is for India to shed its ambivalence towards terrorism. Pakistan must be told to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism.

He says we can't change the fact that Pakistan is a neighbour and wish it away. The country has a history of aiding terror.

Singh adds that the Opera House bomb was found under garbage, while the IED was found on a bus shelter in Dadar, while the Zaveri Bazaar IED was in a scooter.

Clarifying reports that a dead body was found with circuitry around it, Singh said, the person was probably near the explosion.

Home Secretary RK Singh, is done with his meeting and addresses the press in New Delhi.

Singh says a massive probe is on. The Crime branch, police, NSG (three teams), forensic teams are conducting investigations. The NIA director general is in Mumbai and coordinating the probe.

Singh says the IED device used in the blast indicates sophistication and completely rules out earlier reports that the bombs were crude.

Rediff.com's Sumit Bhattacharya's column on the blasts.

Yes, Mumbai has been sucker punched again. As much by its own as by the bastards who routinely put bombs in crowded places, says Sumit Bhattacharya. 'I don't get it,' wrote a friend, who is in his early thirties, on his Facebook status message a couple of weeks ago. 'Why can't we be out on the streets at night without the cops having to tell us to leave? Isn't it their jobs to keep the streets safe so we can be out no matter what the time?'

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Just in: The Mumbai police has sent text messages to citizens warning them that rumours about more bombs being foind in Worli, Cuffe Parade, Prabhadevi, Bandra (E), Marine Drive, Bandra (E), Marine Drive, NCPA, are rumours.

The text message says: These are all false rumours deliberately spread. Plz dont believe in them.

The US today ruled out any change in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's itinerary during her visit to India next week due to serial blasts in Mumbai. "Stays as it is planned... Nothing is going to change due to Mumbai blasts," said US Charge d'Affairs Peter Burleigh when asked if any changes were being made in the travel programme of Clinton.

She is scheduled to arrive here on Monday for the second round of Indo-US strategic dialogue. The Secretary of State will also travel to Chennai, where she will attend a public function.

The Intelligence Bureau says battery power was used to trigger blasts. As forensics experts continue to collect samples from Wednesday's blast sites in Mumbai, traces of ammonium nitrate and fuel have been found in the improvised explosive devices. Sources in the investigating agencies say the forensics team is examining the use of fuel in the IEDs to trigger off the blasts. Earlier it was said that grease and wax were used.  

J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah parroting what PC said, asked the people to desist from speculating about who is behind the serial blasts in Mumbai
in which 19 persons have been killed and over 130 injured.
"Can we have a little more of facts and a little less of rumours about who is behind the attack. If (we) don't know as yet let's say we don't know," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Omar said even though Indian Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba are being talked about, the truth is yet not known.

Given that, the investigating agencies -- Mumbai police, NIA -- have been scanning the CCTV footage from all the three blast sites. Incidentally, a blast victim has been found with wires around his body. I

Factoid: Zaveri Bazaar has been hit thrice -- 1993, 2003 and now.

A Mumbai police plan to set up a city-wide 5,000-camera surveillance network has been gathering dust in the state home department since January 2009. If such a police CCTV network had been in place identifying the perpetrators of the attack might have been made easier, reports the Guardian.

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Also on the R word, Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan comments.

"Yet again our city of Mumbai has been made the target of a brutal attack. Once again there shall be concerned voices raised by those in authority. Once again Mumbai will show its resilience and get back to work as rapidly as possible.

"Once again TV channels shall give exclusive reports from the site of the action, claiming, how they were the first to bring this tragedy to your doorstep," Bachchan blogged. 

"At the end of the day, even when you are fighting an adversary the desire, by certain forces to capitalise on the situation does not change. And it does leave a very bad taste in the mouth," the actor said.

Blogger Shubho on Mumbai's famous "resilience"

R Rajagopalan on Twitter: Son of a Union Minister gave a pat on shoulders/called the first name of a BJP leader. Angry reaction was "do not be arrogant like your father".

No prizes for guessing, who the "arrogant son, father" are.

On rediff.com, J K Dutt, who lead the NSG operation during the 26/11 attacks, discusses the Mumbai blasts with Vicky Nanjappa.

Excerpted:

I agree with the home minister when he says that every city in India is vulnerable. It is not possible to get pin-pointed intelligence all the time. We are doing everything it takes to ensure that our country is safe. We need people to be more alert. They are the ones who should report a suspicion and cannot afford to be casual about anything anymore.

Full interview

The famous "spirit of Mumbai" was back this morning, less than 12 hours after the serial bomb blasts that killed 19.

Educational institutions and offices reported almost full attendance and business in the city was back in full swing as most Mumbaikars chose to report to work despite the city being on high alert. "Trains were crowded and everyone in our office showed up on time," Jason Pereira, an executive in a south Mumbai firm, said.
Children went to school as usual and many people started early for work anticipating delay in trains on account of rains, only to find scores of others also turning up ahead of time.
The spirit of Mumbai residents was lauded today by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who said, "People of Mumbai have responded splendidly (to the terror attacks)

Milind Deora says when there is an attack on India, Mumbai is always targetted. Says the government is working overtime to find the answers that people want.

It's been raining through the night and all of this morning in Mumbai; does this mean evidence has been washed away?

The answer is no. PC assured the nation that forensic teams had collected evidence from the blast sites last night and investigations were underway. He said investigators had worked through the night.

Home secretary RK Singh is now chairing a high-level meeting in Delhi.

Vicky Nanjappa speaks to CD Sahay, former RAW chief, on the terror blasts. Quite naturally, without substantial intelligence information, it would be foolhardy to comment. So basically, Sahay, who knows what he's talking about, says...

"I would not rush into anything over here and start blaming organisations. We need to have specific information for the same.

"It is the intelligence bureau which will have these inputs and they would be the best ones to tell us about the same. There are many aspects to this attack.

"One must remember something while we analyse such attacks. It is never too easy to come to conclusions based on signatures of an attack. The Law of Terror defies the law of rationale and logic. The other question is who could have done it at this time?

"I would reckon that militant groups do not have any real reason or cause to send a kind of message to the government or the people at this moment."

Full report shortly on rediff.com

Cnn.com on the Mumbai blasts:

Indian officials have not singled out a group behind the deadly attacks that rocked Mumbai and no one has yet been arrested, India's home minister said Thursday.

A day after the blasts, no group had claimed responsibility, Minister P Chidambaram said.

But "all groups hostile to India are suspects," he said. Officials, he added, are pursuing all leads and hope to offer updated information every two hours, he said.

Here's what PC said about intelligence failure.

At the press conference today, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the serial blasts in Mumbai are not indicative of the failure of intelligence agencies, said here today.

"Intelligence is collected every day, every hour. It (blasts) is not a failure of intelligence agencies...who ever has perpetrated the attacks has worked in a very clandestine manner," Chidambaram told reporters.

This is what the BBC had to say on the blasts.

Mumbai and other Indian cities have woken up to a state of high alert after three blasts shook the commercial capital, killing 18 and hurting dozens. Indian PM Manmohan Singh appealed to the people of Mumbai "to remain calm and show a united face". Later the United Nations strongly condemned Wednesday's attack, describing it as "heinous".

Read more

Meanwhile, the BJP's Arun Jaitley said today that the serial blasts that claimed 18 lives in Mumbai last night were a grim reminder "that India continues to be high on the terror list of terror outfits operating from Pakistan."

Speaking to rediff.com, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said that terrorists had no regard for human lives. "My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their near and dear ones in this dastardly attack. No amount of condemnation is going to satisfy our sense of anger. Time and again Mumbai has been the centre of attack by  terrorists," he said.

In Mumbai this morning:

• Largely emptier roads today
• Heavy rains delay local train services, but that's normal for the rainy season.
• It's back-to-business for Zaveri Bazaar, one of the sites of the serial blasts.
• However, the famed flower market in Dadar is empty. Flower sellers complain of loss of business.  

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has said the Prime Minister should not come under the purview of the Lokpal as long as he is in office.

The Lokpal debate seems far removed now.

Chidambaram said there was no intelligence failure on the part of Central and state agencies. "There was no specific intelligence input on this...whenever there is an intelligence, we share it with the states," he said at the 70-minute press conference here. 

"We are not ruling out any angle. We will probe (the involvement of) every terror group...The investigations into the attack will not start on pre-determined assumptions," he said.

The number 13, says PTI, is more than just a number.

The Pune blast at the German Bakery that killed 17 persons including some foreigners and injured over 50 happened on February 13.

Even as the city has been put on a very high alert since last night after the blasts with a thick security blanket covering all places identified as sensitive after the German Bakery blast, the numerical connotation of the date '13' has emerged as a mysterious angle to the latest terror strike on the country's commercial capital.

ATS sources say that Delhi and Jaipur blasts had also had taken place on the day when the date was 13.

PC irritated by repeated questions on why there wasn't intelligence on the blasts. Shrugs and says Maharashtra government has had intelligence on other blasts. 

Rakesh Maria, ATS chief, will answer questions on the probe, says PC. Information will be shared every two hours.

PC says no organisation has claimed responsibility. He proudly says there has been only one attack in the last 31 months. What he needs to look at is why there have been no terror attacks in the US after 9/11 or in the UK after 7/11.

Says state and union governments have always shared intelligence information, but in this case there was no intelligence on the attacks. Says CCTV cameras at all three blasts, but expanding surveillance cameras across India will take time and resources.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear that she would go ahead with her visit to New Delhi next week for the security dialogue.

"We condemn the despicable act of violence designed to provoke fear and division. Those who perpetrated it must know they cannot succeed," she said.

Do not draw inferences that a particular community was targetted. Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House has a plurality of communties.

The inference here is that the Gujarati community was targetted since both Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House are strongholds.  

And yes, PC says "blasts can't be interepreted as an attack on the financial capital." Reiterates that every part of India is vulnerable.

PC says the obvious -- Pakistan and Afghanistan are neighbours and we are very vulnerable. "We have to eternally vigilant."

Says every city is vulnerable. Shakes his head, grimaces and says, even Delhi is vulnerable.

PC addressing a press conference says ammonium nitrate was used in the blasts and said forensic groups have collected evidence from the sites. He admits he had no intelligence about the attacks.

The toll figure seems to have been revised from the earlier 21 to 18 deaths. At least a 131 are injured, 23 seriously.

To read earlier updates on the Mumbai blasts, click HERE!