A soft target for terror attacks

A weekend that promised much fun and enjoyment turned into a veritable nightmare for the citizens of Hyderabad following the twin explosions that rocked their city on Saturday. The death toll continues to rise, as does the list of wounded, but more importantly the incident has left the people of this historically, culturally and economically rich city wondering why they have suddenly become a soft target for alleged terror attacks.

Saturday's serial blasts come three months after the attack at the Makkah Masjid in Hyderabad, one of the oldest and biggest mosques in India. That seven more unexploded devices were also found serves as a chilling pointer that perhaps a pattern is beginning to develop towards upsetting the city's stability.

Hyderabad is a vital component of the determined economic advance that has enveloped India. In many ways perhaps it all started there with the initial boom in information technology. But the surge did not stop, encompassing the areas of medical care, real estate and quality civic services.

There now needs to be a renewed emphasis on security to ensure that public confidence is fully re-established. But Saturday's incident and its after-effects will leave the people and authorities with more questions and answers.