The perpetrators of Bhopal-Ujjain train bomb explosion were influenced by ISIS ideology and the incident was a "trial blast" as the terrorists planned to carry out more attacks, the Madhya Pradesh government said today.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told the Legislative Assembly that those who carried out the blast arrived from Lucknow and planted the bomb in the passenger train as part of a "pre-planned conspiracy".
At least 10 people were injured, three of them seriously, in the IED blast in the train near Jabdi station in Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh yesterday.
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He later told reporters that the suspects arrived at Bhopal station by Pushpak Express at 7.30 AM yesterday and planted pipe bomb in the passenger train, which they exploded at 9.41 AM with the help of a timer before escaping.
After triggering the blast, they uploaded the site's pictures for their handlers through social media, the CM said.
"The explosives that they used and the uploading of photos showed that they were influenced by the ISIS. They wanted to go to Lucknow via Piparia and Allahabad," he said.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) in Ujjain has registered a case in connection with the blast based on the report of the train guard, he said.
"The terrorists were influenced by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror ideology and carried out the blast. It was a pre-planned conspiracy," Chouhan told the House during the ongoing Budget Session.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in the passenger train was a "trial blast".
"Yesterday's explosion carried out through IED was a trial blast. The police, however, smashed this terror network within five hours after the blast in train," Singh told media persons in the state Assembly premises today.
The terrorists had plans to orchestrate the explosions at some other places also, he said.
Chouhan had told reporters in Barwah town in Khargone district late last night that police had detained three terrorists who planted bomb in Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train.
"It was revealed during initial interrogation from the arrested terrorists that they were connected to ISIS.
"The blast site smelt of deadly explosives. I would like to congratulate the ATS and police who immediately acted. Madhya Pradesh is a peaceful state and nobody would be allowed to create disturbance here," Chouhan said.
He said the MP police and Central agencies had "unmasked" the people behind the train blast in just five hours.
"The three suspects detained for the blast in the state are being grilled thoroughly so as to reach to more of their accomplices," the CM told the Assembly.
Referring to the jail break by SIMI activists and the subsequent encounter in which eight men of the banned outfit were killed last year, Chouhan said, "Attempts have been made to disturb peace but it has been nipped in the bud by the alert state police. An act of terror won't be allowed to thrive in the state."
In an official statement released late last night, the UP Police had said three persons were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Piparia town in Hoshangabad.
Two of the arrested persons are from Kanpur, while one is from Aligarh.
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