Indian police defuse 18 more bombs

POLICE defused 18 bombs found near the main diamond markets in the city of Surat yesterday and issued a sketch of a young man believed to be linked to one of two explosives-filled cars discovered there.

The announcement came as authorities in a Mumbai suburb probed ties to a series of blasts over the weekend that killed 42 people and wounded 183 in Ahmadabad, about 281km north of Surat.

An obscure Islamic militant group claimed responsibility.

Authorities said that four cars — two used in the Ahmadabad attack and the two found in Surat — were stolen in July from a Mumbai suburb, Navi Mumbai.

“Once we find the people who stole the cars, it will give us further clues about the blasts,” said police chief Ramrao Wagh.

Police said they believe the bombers used Navi Mumbai as the headquarters to plan the attack because they believed their activities would likely go undetected.