HYDERABAD BOMBING UPDATE AND EAC MEETING REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000530 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR D, P, M S/CT, CA, INR AND DS/IP/SCA NEW DELHI FOR RSO MUMBAI FOR RSO KOLKATA FOR CG AND ADM/PSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC ASEC PGOV PREL KTER IN SUBJECT: HYDERABAD BOMBING UPDATE AND EAC MEETING REPORT Ref: Chennai 525 CHENNAI 00000530 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) On August 27, 2007 the RSO convened an EAC meeting to discuss and update members on new information surrounding the bombings in Hyderabad on Saturday, August 25. The meeting was attended by Pol/Econ, PAS, FCS, and FCS. The meeting was chaired by the Acting Consul General from PAS. The EAC discussed the following update to reftel: ¶2. (SBU) There is no information indicating that any U.S. citizens were victims of the two August 25 bomb blasts in Hyderabad that killed and injured dozens. -- Two high-level police officials told Post that 40 people were killed and 54 injured (some critically). They confirmed the report we received (reftel) from the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's office that none of the victims were foreigners. -- A local Telugu-language newspaper published the names of 42 victims killed in the attacks. ConGen Chennai's Consular Section is checking consular databases to verify that none of the victims were Amcits. -- The police also told Post that 11 of those killed were Muslim and that the rest were Hindu. ¶3. (SBU) A high-ranking police official told Post that the police defused a third device under a footbridge in the Dilsukhnagar district. -- The same official said media reports stating that the police have found as many as 19 unexploded bombs are incorrect. -- They also said that these devices were cruder than the bomb that exploded in Hyderabad on May 18 (The police also defused two bombs on that day). These devices used a timed detonator and ammonium nitrate as the explosive; the May bombing was a TNT-laden device detonated by cellular phone. ¶4. (SBU) South Indian states are stepping up security in response to the Hyderabad bombings. -- A top Tamil Nadu Law and Order Department official told Post the Indian government had issued alerts in the wake of the Hyderabad bombings to all state governments to step up security precautions. He said that Tamil Nadu has set up new police pickets, increased its monitoring of transit points, and stepped up security around places of religious importance and VIP presence. Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister has called a meeting of police chiefs and other security officials Monday to review security measures. -- A Kerala police official told us the state has tightened security in line with the national government's alert but noted that there currently are no Kerala-specific threats. -- A Karnataka Law and Order Department official told us that his state's police have also stepped up monitoring of railways and bus stations, but lamented that there was little actionable intelligence about the alleged perpetrators. ¶5. (SBU) Political parties have called for general strikes, known in India as "bandhs," which require people to remain off the streets. In the past, calls for bandhs have sometimes been enforced with violence. -- On August 27, the BJP call for a bandh. A consulate officer visiting Hyderabad reported that, despite the call for a bandh, the airport is open and that most businesses in Hyderabad appear to be operating normally. -- A police official in charge of the area where many U.S. companies have facilities told us that the bandh was not affecting the companies in that area, noting that the police presence there has been stepped up. ¶6. (U) Representatives of U.S. businesses told post that the bombings have affected their operations. They said the bombings are not likely to impact future investments but that they expect the government of Andhra Pradesh to take concrete steps to improve the security situation. ¶7. (U) Principal Officer spoke with the Principal Secretary to the CHENNAI 00000530 002.2 OF 002 Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on August 26 to convey condolences to the people of Andhra Pradesh. ¶8. (U) The EAC will continue to monitor this situation and will report any significant developments. HOPPER