2 killed in synchronized blasts in Indian tech hub

BANGALORE, India—Seven synchronized small bombs shook India's high-tech hub Friday, killing two people and wounding at least five others, officials said.

Bangalore Police Commissioner Shankar Bidri said the seven blasts went off within several minutes of each other at different spots across the city. One woman was killed in an explosion at a bus stop in the city's Madiwala neighborhood, he said.

Another person died later of his injuries, federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil said.

Bidri said each of the small bombs contained the amount of explosives equal to "one or two grenades" and appeared to have been set off by timers.

He blamed the attack on people intent on "disturbing the peace and tranquility of Bangalore city" and called on residents to remain calm.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The government condemned the blasts and vowed to catch those behind them.

"Such incidents will not deter the government from pursuing its policy of dealing with terrorists in a resolute manner," Patil said.

Television footage showed bomb squads scouring the areas with sniffer dogs. Some of the sites were covered with shattered glass.

Several Indian cities have been hit by multiple blasts in recent months in attacks that have been blamed on Islamic militants.

Bangalore, which is home to several of India's leading outsourcing companies, has not been the scene of bombings in recent years, though a gunman from an Islamic group opened fire at a prestigious science institute in the city in late 2005, killing a retired professor.