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Prohibitory orders in Guntur after blast

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the coastal city of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh following an outbreak of violence, after a crude bomb exploded at a mosque, injuring one person, on Sunday night.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is flying to the town by helicopter to assess the situation. He condemned the incident and promised that the culprits would be booked soon.

State police spokesperson Shujath Ali said prohibitory orders under Section 144 were imposed.

Heavy police deployment has been made and senior police officers are camping in the town, about 350 km southeast of Hyderabad. Armed police pickets have been posted at vulnerable points.

"The situation is tense but under control. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the bomb explosion," the police spokesperson said.

"Sheikh Abdul Rawoof was injured when the improvised device exploded. Only window panes of the mosque were damaged in the blast at around 21:45 hours IST," he added.

The incident sparked off violence in the town. Mobs took to the streets and pelted stones at AP State Road Transport Corporation buses at the local bus station near the mosque. They also threw stones on police vehicles. About 40 vehicles, including RTC buses and police vehicles, were damaged in the stone-pelting. A police jeep and another vehicle were set ablaze. Police fired several rounds in the air to disperse the mob.

Technical Education Minister Alapati Rajendra Prasad, Guntur-I legislator S M Ziauddin, district collector Hiralal Samaria, superintendent of police J Purnachandra Rao and other officials held an informal meeting with community elders in a bid to restore normalcy in the area.

EARLIER REPORT
Three hurt in Guntur mosque blast

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