NEW DELHI (Reuters) - At least four bombs exploded in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Saturday, killing at least one person, just a day after another set of coordinated blasts in the country's southern IT hub, police said.
A local member of parliament, said there were between 20and 30 injured people at a hospital in the city.
On Friday, eight bombs exploded in quick succession in thesouthern IT city of Bangalore, killing at least one person andwounding six others.
Saturday's blasts were in the Ahmedabad's crowded old citydominated by its Muslim community. One was left in a metaltiffin box, used to carry food.
"According to information so far, there have been four tofive blasts," said a duty officer at the police control room inAhmedabad, who is not authorised to give his name. "We haveheard one person is dead."
Local television channels showed one bus with its sideblown up, shattered windows and the roof half-destroyed.
So far, police say they have few leads into Friday'sBangalore bombings.
On Saturday, another unexploded bomb was found near ashopping mall in Bangalore, but it was unclear whether the bombwas newly planted or meant to have exploded during Friday'sattacks, police said.
"Special squads have been formed to find out who is behindthe blasts. We have not got any conclusive leads yet,"Bangalore's Additional Commissioner of Police M.R. Pujar toldReuters on Saturday.
India has suffered a wave of bombings in recent years, withtargets ranging from mosques and Hindu temples to trains. It isunusual for any group to claim responsibility for attacks.
India's home ministry said on Friday it suspected "a smallmilitant group" was behind the attacks, but gave no details.
Some major IT companies in Bangalore, known as India'sSilicon Valley, said they were increasing security at theiroffices after the eight low intensity bombs went off. Each bombhad a similar explosive force to one or two grenades.
The city is one of the world's most prominent centres forsoftware development and is also home to a major outsourcingindustry.
"We have increased security in our campus," said aspokeswoman for Infosys, one of India's leading softwarecompanies.
Also nicknamed the "world's back office", Bangalore hasmore than 1,500 top firms, including Infosys, Wipro and theoffices of global firms such as Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp.
"If such incidents continue, investors will fly away fromthe city," said state opposition politician MallikharjunaKharge, who called for improved security in the city.
Some police officials said they suspected the blasts couldbe the work of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India.
"It is a prime suspect, but it is too early to come to anyconclusion. All angles are being looked into," said a policeofficial who did not want to be named.
Police said Friday's explosions were similar to a blast ata courthouse in Hubli, a city near Bangalore. Suspected Muslimmilitants there are being tried on charges of planning attacksin Karnataka, the state where Bangalore is located. No one waswounded in that blast.
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said the blastswere a conspiracy to defame his Hindu nationalist government.
"We will not tolerate any attempt to spoil the reputationof the city" he said.
Islamist militant groups in Pakistan and Bangladesh havebeen often blamed for previous attacks in India with the aim offanning hatred between Muslims and Hindus and damaging afragile peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad.
In May, eight bombs, many strapped to bicycles, rippedthrough a crowded shopping area in the western city of Jaipur,killing at least 63 people and injuring hundreds more.
Police said that attack bore some hallmarks of theBangladeshi militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad al Islami.
(Writing by Alistair Scrutton and Simon Denyer)
