The explosions took place within half an hour in markets packed with shoppers just days before major Hindu and Muslim festivals. Many of the victims were women and children.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh blamed terrorists, but said it was too early to say who was behind the attacks.

On Sunday, the Islami Inqilabi Mahaz (Islamic Revolutionary Group), telephoned local newspapers in Indian Kashmir to claim responsibility for the blasts and warned of more to come.

"This is a Pakistani group and is a front organisation of Lashkar," said Ajai Sahni of New Delhi's Institute for Conflict Management. These front organisations are often used to muddy the waters and deflect blame from their parent groups, especially when civilian casualties are high, he said.

"One way or the other, Lashkar is behind it," he added.

S. Regunathan, the top bureaucrat in Delhi's local government, said 57 people were killed and about 140 wounded in the blasts, although some media said 61 people died.

More than 110 were still in hospital, many of them critically injured, some with severe burns.

The blasts struck two markets and near a bus at another as dusk fell across the capital of 14 million people, a time when bazaars were packed with people shopping for special sweets and last minute presents for the coming festivals.
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