Terror struck Mumbai after two-and-a-half years of calm, killing at least 23 and injuring 141 in three blasts that went off within minutes of each other at crowded business areas on Wednesday evening.
Zaveri Bazar, the diamond merchant's hub was the target of the
terror strike on Wednesday for the third time since the 1993 blasts. The famous jewellery market has been on the radar of terrorists for almost two decades now with their first attempt made in 1993. The attack is seen as a deliberate attempt to shook the economic hub of the city.
From the Archive: The cost of terror The maximum casualties in Wednesday's blasts were reported from Zaveri Bazar. The posh south Mumbai market was first targeted in August 1993 when 13 serial blasts rocked Mumbai killing 257 people and injuring over 700 others. The police had then succeeded in defusing a bomb kept in a scooter parked at Zaveri Bazar.
However, the terrorists were successful in August 2003 when blasts at the Bazar claimed 54 lives.
Archive: Read how other economies fought terror The congested Zaveri Bazar has a number of shops located in its narrow lanes and is often abuzz with activity and heavy footfalls throughout the year that makes it difficult for people to move.
Wednesday's blast took place outside a famous eatery where people generally meet for a quick snack after office hours. This place is crowded the most in the evenings.
In pics: Serial blasts rock Mumbai 
Police officers stand next to the debris, covered under blue plastic sheet, at Zaveri bazar, at the site of an explosion in Mumbai. Three coordinated blasts hit Mumbai on July 13, 2011, killing 23 people. <em>Photo: AP</em> 
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