After preliminary investigations of some samples collected from the three bomb blast sites, forensic experts at labs in Hyderabad believe that all these were the components that made up the IEDs that exploded in Mumbai.
Experts are looking into how these IEDs were made and then transported to Mumbai.
Forensic experts of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have now confirmed that the terrorists used ammonium nitrate in the IED’s used inMumbai.
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“They used 2T and furnace oil as a bonder with the ammonium nitrate for more impact and put nuts, bolts, shrapnel, nails and glass as splinters. The electrical circuits in the IEDs and the use of printed diagram (normally used in assembling computers and television sets) has close resemblance to the IED’s used in the 2008 Ahmedabad and Surat blasts suggesting the possible role of Indian Mujahideen,” say NIA officials.
Forensic reports of the samples gathered from the blast sites are giving a clearer picture to investigators about the making of the explosives and how they were detonated. The officials who are privy to the (APFSL) Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Lab reports confirmed that battery-driven wrist watches, integrated circuits and electronic detonators were used to trigger the bombs while the lethal combination of ammonium nitrate and 2T and furnace oil was used as explosive material.
“The recent IED explosions at Mumbai had electronic ladies wrist watches as timer to complete the bomb circuit to trigger the electrical detonators. They in turn ignited the furnace oil causing ammonium nitrate to explode. The exact quantity of ammonium nitrate used in the blasts is not yet known, though” the investigators said.
The clues about the explosive material gathered at the Mumbai blast sites are being tested at the APSFL in Hyderabad.
“Most of the clues were messed up but one could assess about the ammonium nitrate only from the black char on the bodies and also on the injured exposed to the blast,” said the experts. They could also pinpoint the timer as a small wrist watch (probably a ladies watch) as the trigger for the IEDs kept in polythene covers.
“If the rain was heavy the watches would not have worked and that would have saved all the lives.” But, unfortunately, there was only a drizzle minutes before the blast in Mumbai, the experts said.
They believe that the terror groups in India might have run out of their stock of RDX, considering that there has been no trace of the RDX explosives in any of blasts across the country since 2008.
Suspect sketch to be out soon
Investigators have claimed that they have secured “solid leads” and the probe is now heading in a “certain direction” – after eliminating various theories in the terror attack, reports DHNS from Mumbai.
A sketch of one suspect will be out soon, they added.