Travellers Warned To Be Vigilant Following Bomb In Popular Pune restaurant

A bomb exploded at the German Bakery, a popular restaurant, in Pune at 1930 local time on 13 February 2010. The perpetrator placed the bomb in a backpack and left it at the restaurant. The device exploded when a waiter opened the bag. The blast killed at least nine people and injured at least 60 others, including several foreigners from Germany, Italy, Iran and Taiwan. Indian authorities have not yet conclusively determined who carried out the attack, but suspect that Indian Mujahideen, a domestic group, may have carried out the operation in collusion with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based group. Indian authorities are also investigating whether the attack was at all tied to the activities of David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-born U.S. national who was arrested in Chicago in October 2009 for allegedly helping LeT identify targets for future attacks in India. The Indian Home Ministry disclosed that Headley had surveyed targets near the German Bakery, including a Jewish Chabad House. The attack likely aimed to derail an upcoming meeting between the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers in New Delhi on 25 February. India suspended high-level diplomatic contacts with Pakistan -- which has long been accused of supporting militant groups -- following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. India plans to continue with efforts to resume bilateral negotiations despite the Pune bombing. The bombing was the first major terrorist incident to occur in India since the Mumbai attacks. The Indian government has heightened security in cities throughout the country following the bombing, including at airports, railway and bus stations. The latest attack underscores the continuing threat that terrorism poses throughout India. The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have issued travel advisories urging their citizens to exercise vigilance in public places in light of this threat.