(Were warnings ignored? Courtesy NDTV)

Two explosions in Hyderabad, India have left 16 people dead and a mounting death toll. The explosive devices were wired to two bicycles roughly 500 feet apart in a crowded section of the city.

Officials are not saying who planted the two near-simultaneously exploding bombs, but are calling them "terrorist attacks." Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy stated that the explosions were "definitely the handiwork of a terrorist network," reported the Hindustan Times.

Early speculation is focused on the Pakistan-affiliated Islamist group Indian Mujahideen as a possible culprit due to messages sent to Indian officials, including officials in Hyderabad, warning of impending attacks.

Hyderabad has a history of religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims dating to the 1980s, according to the BBC. Violent attacks in the city began in 1992, and another twin explosion in 2007 left more than 40 dead.

Memorial for victims of 2008 Mumbai attack (Nichalp, Wikimedia Commons)

For a discussion of whether the attack amounts to an Indian intelligence failure, see the New York Times.

For an analysis of why terror attacks are pervasive in India, see the Times of India.

For more Neon Tommy coverage of India, go here.

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