India police make arrest, study CCTV over temple bombs

PATNA, July 8, 2013 (AFP) - Indian police arrested a man on Monday over the weekend attacks at the historic Bodh Gaya Buddhist temple complex and were studying CCTV footage that appeared to show two men planting explosives at the site.





The Bodh Gaya complex also houses multiple shrines marking the places where the Buddha is believed to have spent time after his enlightenment.

He founded an order of monks before dying aged 80.

The complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site 110 kilometres south of Patna, is one of the earliest Buddhist temples still standing in India.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama makes frequent trips to the complex, which attracts visitors during the peak tourist season from October to March.

The Indian government condemned the "terror attack" at one of Buddhism's holiest sites after nine small bombs exploded on Sunday morning, wounding two monks at the world-renowned pilgrimage destination in eastern Bihar state.

"The police are doing everything to identify the two persons on the basis of the CCTV footage," local police official Chandan Kushwaha told AFP.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police arrested a local man who was being questioned in connection with the blasts.