"While the explosives used were not of severe destructive quality and could have been procured locally, the techniques used in assembling the IEDs and having them triggered off indicate some sophistication involving special training, either locally or in foreigncountries. In this connection, attention needs to be drawn to the first car bomb explosion outside a hotel on February 17,2005, in which seven persons were killed and 40 others injured and to recurring instances of the use of cellphones for detonating an IED. A modified cellphone as a remotely-activated trigger was first used by Palestinian terrorists at the Hebrew University in Israel in July, 2002. Since then, knowledge of its use has spread to jihadi terrorists in other countries. The attack on an armoured patrol train on March 27,2005, and the subsequent attacks of April 3,2005, on targets such as an airport and a hotel linked to tourism speak of sophisticated tactics involving orchestration. On April 3,2005, three explosions were triggered off through cellphones. The use of cellphones facilitates remote activation. It also enables the terrorists to use unconscious human carriers of IEDs, which are activated through a cellphone thereby giving the impression of a conscious suicide attack. Glorified tales of suicide missions are then used by the terrorist organisations in their recruitment drive. It had been reported in 2003 that one of the persons carrying a package in Casablanca at the instance of terrorists was not aware that it contained an IED, which was activated through a cellphone by the terrorists as soon as the carrier reached the vicinity of the intended target. The Chechens were also reported to have used this MO for blowing up two planes last year (2004).There have also been allegations of jihadi terrorists and the Palestinian groups using teen-agers as unconscious human bombs, detonated throughcellphones."
There are four ways of activating an IED--through a mechanical timer such as a clock or an alarm mechanism in a mobile telephone, through a chemical timer, through a remote control device and through a suicide bomber. Conventional remote control devices operate through the principle of the line of sight activation. The terrorist has to be present near the scene of occurrence in order to point his remote control towards the IED and activate it. It is just like your pointing your remote-control towards the TV set in order to operate it. The mobile telephone enables an operation without the need for a line of sight requirement. In order to remotely activate the IED, the terrorist does not have to be present near the scene of occurrence. He can activate the IED from anywhere in the world.
To create difficulties in the way of police investigation into a blast, the terrorists using a mobile telephone as a trigger take the followingprecautions--use stolen mobiles for activating the mobile which is attached to the IED; use a pre-paid SIM card; and have the SIM card bought through a cut-out or third party, which had not come to the adverse notice of the Police. After the Madrid blasts of March,2004, the Madrid Police had detained some Indian shop-keepers because of suspicion that they had been used by the terrorists to buy the SIM cards.
When Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra was the Prime Minister of Thailand before September,2006, it was reported that the Thai security forces were facing the problem of terrorists using innocent third persons for activating the IEDs. They would attach a mobile to an IED, give a ring from that number or send an SMS message from that number to an innocent person and switch off the phone before he answered; the innocent person would ring back that number to find out who it was; and by doing so unconsciously activate the IED. The police, during the investigation, would find out the number from which the IED was activated and, on checking, would find that the number belonged to an innocent person.
Conversion of a mobile telephone for using it to trigger off an IED requires some special training. It is, therefore, apparent that the perpetrators of the Hyderabad blast must have had the benefit of such training. In J&K, there had been instances of the use of mobile telephones as a trigger. In one instance reported in December, 2006, the terrorists were reported to have bought their SIM card in the name of a military officer. After the Mumbai blasts of July, 2006, it was reported that the Mumbai Police had advised the mobile companies to suspend their operations due to fears that the terrorists might cause more explosions by using mobiles.
Among the security measures that have been taken to make it difficult for the terrorists to use cell phones are strict pre-sale checks, control over pre-paid SIM cards or even a ban on them etc. Despite such measures, terrorists manage to circumvent the securitymeasures.