Malls endanger lives of citizens

Leading malls and entertainment hubs in the city have failed to tighten security even after several bomb blasts across the country.

The city police conducted mock security drills on Friday at malls and entertainment hubs selected at random after Intelligence authorities issued a terror alert in Hyderabad.

Police personnel in plainclothes successfully sneaked dummy bombs into Big Bazaar, Spencer’s, Snow World and 10 other places, including cinema theatres, without the security guards or the metal detectors identifying the undesirable objects.

In some places where there were metal detectors, there was no guard to operate them or to frisk the decoy.

The dummy bombs were carried in tiffin boxes, leather bags and briefcases. A police team was foiled in one location — Karachi bakery — which did not allow bags inside.

The Central Zone DCP, Mr Akun Sabarwal, said, “There was a security lapse at most of the malls and theatres despite the recent security sensitisation programmes. Security teams failed to follow the police caution.”

The police closed the malls temporarily while they ensured that security personnel and management of the targeted places underwent a thorough briefing on security measures.

Mr Sabarwal said no establishments were shut down or sealed off by the police and they were allowed to resume business after the briefing session.

29 killed in Iraq bombings

At least 29 people were killed and 42 injured on Wednesday when the north-eastern Iraqi city of Baquba was hit by four bomb blasts, police said.

The attacks came amid a spike in violence ahead of Iraq's March 7 parliamentary elections.

The first two car bombings had targeted a police station and a car park in the city centre, not far from the seat of the provincial government, police said.

A man then detonated explosives strapped to his body in Baquba's main hospital as ambulances arrived carrying the wounded from those blasts, police said, adding that the bomber had infiltrated the hospital by wearing a police uniform.

Soon after, police found another car bomb near a police checkpoint in the city. Security officials cleared the area before it exploded, police said.

Baquba, some 60 km north-east of Baghdad, is the capital of Diyala province, which lies on the border of Iran.