One Iranian among 9 killed in last night Pune blast

Twenty Six years old Iranian student Said Abdulkahni and 37 years old lady Ms. Nadia Nacarani from Italy are two foreign nationals among nine killed in Saturday night blast in Pune, said Pune Police commissioner.

According to All India Radio (AIR) report, Satyapal Singh talking to media persons this evening confirmed the death of two foreign nationals. Singh further said that the numbers of injured persons have been increased to 60.

Out of them 12 are foreign nationals, including 4 Iranians.

The blast took place at a German bakery in Pune, a city of Maharashtra state last night.

There is still no arrest in connection with bomb blast, said Singh.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the situation with Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi following the bomb blast at German Bakery on Saturday and directed the Centre and the Maharashtra government to take coordinated and effective action to speedily investigate the matter.

Chidambaram ruled out any intelligence failure in the attack.

Meanwhile, dismissing "intelligence failure" in the Pune blast, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram Sunday said the terrorists had hit a "soft target" like the German bakery which is frequented by foreigners and Indians alike.

Addressing a press conference in Pune after visiting local hospitals to meet the injured in the terror attack, he maintained that the "hard targets" like the Osho Ashram and the Jewish Chabad House located near the bakery had been surveyed by US Lashker-e-Taiba suspect David Headley during his visit to India.

Chidambaram said, the area was "in the radar" of terrorists for some time.

Terror struck Pune last night as a powerful bomb ripped apart a popular bakery near the Chabad House, killing nine people, including five women and injuring over 50 in the first major attack since 26/11 carnage.

The improvised explosive device, kept in a packet outside the kitchen of the German bakery, exploded when a waiter attempted to open it.

Following the Saturday Pune blast a red alert was sounded in cities like Kanpur, Indore and the national capital, Delhi.

/Irna/