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2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya
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| Terrorism in India (2001–2007) |
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| Indian Parliament – 1st Mumbai – Ayodhya – Delhi – Varanasi – Jama Masjid – 2nd Mumbai – Malegaon – Samjhauta Express – Mecca Masjid – Hyderabad |
On July 5, 2005, five suspected Islamist militants attacked the site of the destroyed Babri Mosque and the Ram Janmabhoomi, in Ayodhya, India. All five were shot down in the ensuing gunfight with security forces, while one civilian died in the bomb blast triggered by the fighters to breach the cordon wall. Security forces suffered three casualties, two of which were seriously injured.
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On July 5, 2005, the heavily guarded Ram Janmabhoomi complex, the site of the destroyed Babri Mosque and the supposed birthplace of Rama, at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh state of India was attacked by heavily armed militants. This attack was foiled by security officials and these attackers were killed.
The militants are believed to be from the militant organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, and are believed to have entered India through Nepal. They posed as pilgrims to Ayodhya and boarded a Tata sumo at Akbarpur near the Kichaucha village in Faizabad. At Faizabad they abandoned the Sumo and hired a jeep driven by a driver, Rehan Alam. According to a statement by the driver, the militants visited the Ram Temple at Ayodhya where they prayed, possibly to reinforce that they indeed were pilgrims. The militants then drove the jeep into the Ram Janmabhumi and forced the driver out of the vehicle, banging the jeep against the security cordon. At 9:05 am they triggered a blast to breach the cordon fence. Ramesh Pandey, a pilgrim guide who happened to be near the site at this moment, died as a result of the bomb blast. Firing indiscriminately, the attackers entered Sita Rasoi. Returning the gunfire, the CRPF killed all five of the fighters in a gunfight that lasted for over an hour. All the fighters died 100 meters from the site.
It is suspected that the militants belonged to the group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The investigating team is tracking the phone calls made from the cell phones using the IMEI numbers. The police also recovered a rocket launcher, four AK-56 rifles and two pistols from the attackers. The police also suspect Students Islamic Movement of India had a role in the attack.
Rehan Alam, the jeep driver, was detained by the police for further investigations.
Four men from Mendhar, in Jammu, Akbar Hussain, Lal Mohammad, Mohmmad Naseer and Mohmmad Rafeeq were arrested in connection with the bombing on July 28, 2005.[1]
Four men, Asif Iqbal, Mohd Aziz, Mohd Nasim and Shaqeel Ahmed, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing on August 3, 2005.[2] Irfan Khan was arrested a few days earlier.
Most of India's political organizations condemned the attack as barbaric and requested people to maintain law and order. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, its offshoot the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Bharatiya Janata Party declared an India-wide protest and bandh on July 8, 2005. BJP president L.K. Advani called for a review of the anti-terror law POTA in the wake of the attack.
The major Hindu figure of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Nritya Gopal Das, has received threats from Jaish-e-Mohammed telling him to convert to Islam or face execution[3]
| The Ayodhya debate |
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| Babri Mosque |
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| Archaeology of Ayodhya |
| 2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya |
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| L. K. Advani |
| All India Babri Masjid Action Committee |
| Babur |
| Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Koenraad Elst |
| Indian National Congress |