London bombers triggered blasts by hand says paper

LONDON - Four suicide bombers who killed 52 people in attacks on London's transport network on July 7 triggered the blasts by hand rather than by mobile phones as previously suggested, a British newspaper reported.

The Guardian, citing unidentified senior police and anti-terrorism sources for its information, said the four British Muslims who blew themselves up on three trains and a bus used "button-like" devices to set off the bombs.

"There were no mobile phone timers on (July 7)," the Guardian quoted one source as saying. "They were manually activated."

The newspaper said the discovery was a breakthrough in the investigation into the bombings.

Police declined to comment on the report. "We are not prepared to discuss this as it forms part of the investigation," said a police spokeswoman.

Earlier this month, New York's police chief Raymond Kelly said three of the bombs were probably detonated by mobile phones.

Spanish investigators have said mobile phones were used to trigger the Madrid train bombings in March 2004 that killed 191 people.

The Guardian said police still had the remains of the four bombers and would try to reassemble the body parts in a search for clues.

A second wave of bombings in London in July failed and police say have arrested all the suspects involved.

- REUTERS