Al Qaeda affiliate suspected:

Delhi High Court blast kills 11

A powerful bomb placed in a briefcase outside the High Court in New Delhi killed at least 11 people and wounded 76 yesterday in an attack authorities said was claimed by a South Asian militant group linked to al Qaeda.

The bomb dug a crater three to four feet deep near the main reception counter where passes are issued for lawyers and visitors to enter the sprawling sandstone building before the main security checkpoint. Authorities said they are investigating a claim of responsibility allegedly made by the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HUJI) militant group — an al Qaeda affiliate. An attack in broad daylight at such a high-profile location, which lacked CCTV cameras and had faulty security scanners, quickly led critics to question the authorities readiness especially as it came ahead of the Sept. 11, 2001 anniversary of attacks in the United States.

“Notice that this comes just days before 9/11, so the government should have expected something like this,” said independent strategic analyst Maj. Gen. Ashok Mehta.

In an email to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the South Asian militant group called on India to repeal the death sentence of a man convicted in connection with an attack on the Indian parliament in 2001 and warned it would otherwise target major courts in the country. Reuters