Nalbari: Suspected ULFA militants on Sunday
triggered two back to back blasts near a police station in
Assam's Nalbari district today, killing seven persons and
injuring 53 others.
The bombs strapped to bicycles exploded 15 minutes of
each other and 50 metres apart, Nalbari police superintendent
Jitmol Doley said.
Rumours of a third blast in the town were discounted by
the police.
The first blast which was of mild intensity occurred at
at 9.55 AM while the second bomb, planted inside the iron rods
of two bicycles exploded 15 minutes after causing the
casualty.
Though the ULFA has denied its involvement in blasts,
calling it a "conspiracy by a section to derail the peace
process", Inspector-General of Police (law and order)
Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said ULFA was indeed behind the blasts
caused by an IED strapped to the bicycles.
The ULFA's 709 battalion commander and in-charge of
lower Assam Hira Sarania told a local news channel that his
organisation was not involved in the blasts which took place
six days after it burnt down 12 oil tankers and derailed for
bogies of a goods train in Sibsagar district.
A senior police official said there were reports of a
group of nine ULFA militants belonging to its 709 and 27
battalion entering the state to carry out subversive
activities.
Four, including Pawan Thakur from Bihar, were killed on
the spot while two others--Mohammad Ali, a village headman,
and Secunder Ali--died on way to hospital. Another person
succumbed to his injuries at Guwahati Medical College
Hospital. He is yet to be identified, officials said.
Of the 53 injured, some have been admitted to the GMCH,
while three critically hurt victims were shifted to Guwahati
Neurological and Research centre.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who is in New Delhi, has
refrained from identifying any particular insurgent group as
responsible for the blast.
"Whoever has carried out this crime has to be
apprehended and punished. Although the police had prior
information it, was difficult to protect every area," Gogoi
said.
He instructed the administration to launch a vigorous
search operation to nab the culprits.
Meanwhile, heart-rendering scenes were witnessed in the
GMCH where most of the critically injured victims were
admitted.
Utter chaos and pandemonium prevailed as relatives of the
victims searched for their near and dear ones amongst the
injured who were carried in trucks to the hospital.
"My injured elder brother, a cloth merchant, was to be
brought here, but till now there is no trace of him," said
Pijush Sarma, younger brother of a victim.
Meanwhile, opposition leader and AGP president Chandra
Mohan Patowary, has slammed the government, saying, "The
blasts took place despite the police knowing that nine top
ULFA leaders have entered the state to carry out subversive
activities".
Central government-appointed interlocutor P C Haldhar
was in Guwahati last week to hold discussions with state
government officials ahead of possible talks with ULFA.
ULFA behind twin blasts: Police
Dismissing ULFA's claim
that it was not responsible for twin blasts in the district,
police today asserted that the banned outfit was behind the
explosions.
"Preliminary investigations have showed that the ULFA is
behind the blasts," Inspector General of Police (IGP-law and
order) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told reporters after visiting the
blast sites here.
Mahanta said the ULFA had planned to engage itself in
subversive activities ahead of November 27 to air its protest
against the first army operation 'Operation Bajrang' launched
on that date in 1991.
Earlier, Hira Sarania, self-styled Commander of the
outfit's 709 battalion, told a local news channel that ULFA
was not involved in the bomb blasts. "It was a conspiracy by a
certain section to derail the proposed peace talk."
PTI
First Published: Sunday, November 22, 2009, 21:00