Bombs from attacks found in Mumbai railway station

EXPLOSIVES were yesterday found in Mumbai's main railway station – apparently left over from last week's attacks.

Bomb squad officers defused the two 8lb bombs, said Bapu Domre, the assistant commissioner of police, but it was not clear last night why they had not been found earlier.

The discovery came as Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, visited New Delhi and called for full co-operation from Pakistan to ease tensions in the region after the attacks, which left at least 171 dead.

Indian and US officials have blamed the three-day assault on Pakistani militants. Pranab Mukherjee, the Indian foreign minister, said the attacks were led from inside Pakistan, and India would act decisively.

He told Ms Rice that the perpetrators were "individuals who came from Pakistan and whose controllers are in Pakistan".

Pakistan has condemned the assault, denied any involvement by state agencies and vowed to work with India in the inquiry. But the accusations have sparked fears that unless cool heads prevail, the nuclear-armed neighbours might slide towards a fourth war since independence from Britain in 1947. It is feared a confrontation would hinder efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and beat al-Qaeda.

Ms Rice met the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, and other leaders in the Indian capital and is due to visit Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, today. She said the US was "already actively engaged in information sharing" with Indian authorities.

"Pakistan needs to act with resolve and urgency, and co-operate fully," she added.

It was too early to say who was responsible for the attack, but added: "Whether there is a direct al-Qaeda hand or not, this is clearly the kind of terror in which al-Qaeda participates."

India has called on Pakistan to turn over 20 people who are "fugitives of Indian law" and wanted for questioning, but the Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, said the suspects would be tried in Pakistan if they were found to be hiding there and if there was evidence of wrongdoing.

"At the moment, these are just names of individuals – no proof and no investigation," he said.

In India there was further criticism of authorities already blamed for acting slowly during the 60-hour siege.

Sureesh Mehta, the head of the navy, called the failure to act on multiple warnings "a systemic failure". India had received a warning from the US that militants were plotting a waterborne assault on Mumbai.

The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff also urged Pakistan yesterday to investigate all links between the attacks and Pakistani groups and to broaden its campaign against militants.

Admiral Mike Mullen flew in for talks with Pakistan's eight-month-old civilian government and military commanders.

AK Antony, the Indian defence minister, told military chiefs they had to improve intelligence co-ordination.