BANGALORE - A string of nine synchronised bomb blasts on Friday shook India's high-technology capital Bangalore during the busy lunch hour, leaving two killed and injuring twelve others spreading terror in the city. In a grim reminder of the attack at the Indian Institute of Sciences here in December 2005, the crude bombs, concealed near refugee camps and roadside stuffed with nuts and bolts, exploded between 1:30 pm and 1:45 pm at Adugodi, Madivala, Nayandahalli, Mysore Road, Richmond Circle, Pantharapalya and Vittal Mallya Road. The city police was put on high alert. Two persons were killed and 12 injured in the blasts, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said in New Delhi. He said Bangalore was made a target by terrorist organisations. He said the Centre is willing to provide whatever help is necessary to the Karnataka government to deal with the situation after the explosions that shook the city. A woman waiting at a bus stop in Madivala on the Bangalore-Hosur Road was killed in the blast, while her husband and another person were seriously injured. Four of the blasts were between Hosur Road and Madiwala, the other three at Nayandahalli, Vittal Mallya Road and Richmond Circle, City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari told reporters on Friday. Except in two places, low-intensity explosives were used for the blasts, which occurred within a few minutes of each other, he said. Police have recovered gelatin sticks, mainly used in quarry operations, from one of the blast sites. No group claimed immediate responsibility for the blasts. However, sources in the Indian Home Ministry said that the hand of local cadre of banned SIMI was suspected to be behind the blasts and the expertise in assembling the low intensity devices possibly being provided by Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly condemned the serial blasts and asked the people to remain calm and maintain communal harmony. He an ex-gratia payment of Rs100,000 to the next of kin of those dead and Rs50,000 to those injured in the blasts. "It's a planned conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere and to try to create confusion among people", Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said after an emergency meeting of the state cabinet while asking people not to panic and maintain calm. As the news of the blasts spread, shopping malls and schools located in the vicinity were closed down. Traffic was badly hit as police put up barricades and temporarily closed down certain roads. The blast sites were buzzing with khaki-clad men, forensic experts and media personnel and many curious onlookers. Bomb disposal unit of the Bangalore police along with the dog squad were also put into service. Trained Labradors were seen sniffing at the blasts spots. The city was reminded of IISc attack in 2005 which left a professor of the prestigious institute dead. In Kanpur, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said Centre had forewarned the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh governments that "terrorists" could target Bangalore and Hyderabad. "The Intelligence Bureau had received inputs that terrorists could target the cyber cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore. Both the state governments were told to be on high alert," he said. Karnataka DGP Srikumar parried questions on whether any terrorist outfit was behind the blasts, saying no group could be blamed till a complete investigation was done. The blasts were of low intensity, Srikumar, who was in Chennai in connection with DGPs meet of southern states to discuss the Naxalite problem, said. Meanwhile, Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also denounced condemned the serial blasts. "This is a cowardly act and people who want to disturb the peace of the country are behind it," she said.