WASHINGTON, July 13: Hours after a series of blasts rocked Mumbai, US President Barack Obama offered to help India investigate the attacks that have stirred a wave of sympathy in the US for India.

“The American people will stand with the Indian people in times of trial, and we will offer support to India’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice,” said Mr Obama in a statement issued by his office.

“I strongly condemn the outrageous attacks in Mumbai, and my thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and those who have lost loved ones.”

The US government, he said, continued to monitor the situation, including the safety and security of its citizens. Congressman Gary Ackerman, the top Democrat on the House Subcommittee on South Asia, in a statement urged the Obama administration to assist India in finding those responsible for the blasts. “The perpetrators of this attack must be found, their backers, protectors and funders must be exposed, and justice must be done to all of those involved in this hideous mass murder of innocents,” he said.

“A bombing of the sort which has just occurred in Mumbai cannot happen without networks and an infrastructure of terror. Nations that tolerate or, worse, encourage, such networks and infrastructure to take root are just as guilty as the terrorists who set off the bombs.”

The US, he said, must not only be vigilant in prosecuting the war on terror, but also “equally aggressive in confronting any nation that continues to facilitate or sponsor terrorists of any stripe”.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed similar sentiments, warning, “Those who perpetrated them must know they cannot succeed.”

She noted that the Indian people had suffered from acts of terrorism before, and had responded with courage and resilience.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation … and we have reached out to the Indian government to express our condolence and offer support,” she said.

AFP adds: Britain has condemned as “deplorable acts of terrorism” three simultaneous blasts in Mumbai that killed at least 20 people and injured dozens more.

“I send my deepest condolences to all those who have lost relatives or been injured in the bomb blasts in Mumbai,” said Foreign Secretary William Hague in a statement.

“We are committed to working with the Indian government and our allies and partners to combat the threat from terrorism in all its forms.”