PTI

Bangalore, Jul 26: An explosive kept in a cement flowerpot near a shopping mall in posh Koramangla area was defused on Saturday by the police which claimed to have got "several leads" to Friday's serial blasts and was trying to ascertain whether a 'foreign hand' was behind them.

The explosive with a microchip, detonator and ammonium nitrate mixed with some oil was defused by the bomb disposal squad.

A person, in his early 20s, wearing red T-shirt kept the grey-shaped object in front of Hyderabad House on the Bangalore-Hosur Road, Police Commissioner S Bidari told reporters.

Investigations are on to track down those responsible for the Friday's nine serial blasts, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said. The blasts had left two dead and 12 injured.

Preliminary probe has revealed that bombs used in the series of blasts in the city appeared to be "professionally assembled" and police are looking at all angles, including involvement of any foreign hand, Karnataka Director General of Police Srikumar told PTI here.

"We have several leads and are trying to examine each of them," he said when asked about the possibility of banned SIMI being behind the attacks.

"More clues have also been gathered from the unexploded device recovered on Saturday," he said.

The blasts, which occurred at nine locations in the city on Friday, left two persons dead and 12 injured.