In their public statements yesterday, both Tony Blair and Sir Ian were anxious to reassure the public; similarly, Underground staff had clearly been instructed in the importance of remaining calm to counter the panic effect of further incidents. The incidents ratcheted up the fear factor in a city only just getting its nerve back. Three of them were on Underground trains and the fourth on the top of a No 26 bus, which, like the bomb on the No 30 bus in Tavistock Square, detonated about an hour later Both had the destination of Hackney on the front. Initial investigations were said to show marked similarities, raising fears that a bomb-maker, possibly al-Qa'ida trained, remains at large.
Although there were reports that two people had been arrested one man was led away by armed police in Whitehall, and another detained near Warren Street police said that they were not related to the incidents. Despite the intensive efforts of police and the security services, yesterday's attacks were evidence of a further lack of intelligence about potential bombers. You do not do this with another intention." The discovery of backpacks containing explosive material will provide police with a large amount of forensic information, allowing comparison with fragments recovered two weeks ago. That eventuality would shatter the hopes of millions of Londoners that the attacks two weeks ago were a one-off.
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As on 7 July, the targets were in the north, west, east and south of the city. Police and intelligence services were investigating whether this may have been a less effective copycat exercise by a more amateur group of Muslim hardliners than the 7 July bombers.But there were indications that the devices, though smaller, were made up of similar explosive to the bombs two weeks previously, suggesting that it was an attack by a cell linked to the 7 July bombers that went wrong. The devices were on Tube trains at the Oval, Warren Street and Shepherd's Bush, and on a No 26 bus in Shoreditch. It was unclear whether one man being treated at University College Hospital, where there was a massive police operation yesterday, was linked to the attacks. It may have failed to cause further death, but it did succeed in creating a new climate of fear. The co-ordinated assault mirrored the 7 July bombings, which left 56 dead including the four suicide bombers. This time, the devices, three on Underground trains and one on a bus, failed properly to ignite. At least three of the bombers were believed to be still at large last night, despite passengers wrestling with one of them.
