Indian police arrest two more in Mumbai blast

INDIA: Two more Indian Muslims have been arrested in connection with this month's Mumbai train bombings, taking the number of people in custody to eight, police said on Friday.

The blasts that killed more than 180 people have been blamed on Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistani military spy agency Inter Services Intelligence.

But police suspect Indian Muslims were used by them to plant the bombs on packed commuter trains and stations.

"Two more people have been arrested on the basis of leads we got in the course of the investigations," K.P. Raghuvanshi, chief of Mumbai Police's anti-terrorism squad, told Reuters.

One of those arrested was suspected to be a top point man of Lashkar in western India, he said.

All the arrested, which include a doctor, a chemical engineer and a computer software professional, are Indian Muslims. Investigators said some of them had visited Pakistan to receive arms training.

Police have raided slums and Muslim quarters across India, and questioned hundreds of people, mostly Muslims, but most have been allowed to go.

The Pakistani government as well as Lashkar have denied any role in the attacks and Islamabad has offered to help India in the investigations, an offer New Delhi has rejected.

Mumbai, Friday, Reuters