Thiruvananthapuram: At least two youths were seriously injured in an explosion at Akkulam on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred in a secluded piece of land owned by the Kerala State Housing Board behind the sprawling Centre For Earth Science Studies campus. S.Y. Suresh Kumar, Sub-Inspector, Sreekaryam, said the youths were making country-bombs when the explosion occurred.

The police suspect that the bombs were being made to settle an inter-gang rivalry. The injured were identified as Sanal Kumar, 20, and Vijayakumar alias Shyama Kuttan, 28.

Sanal Kumar lost both his palms in the explosion. Vijayakumar sustained serious injuries of a similar nature. Both were admitted to Medical College Hospital.

The police suspect that seven other persons were present at the spot when the explosion occurred. Some of them could have sustained minor injuries. But none of them were admitted to any hospital in the district. Efforts were on to identify the rest of the gang members.

According to police, the injured were members of a gang headed by one "Koluthu" Chandran, an accused in several criminal cases in the city. They were named as accused in a case relating to a country-bomb attack on a police team at Akkulam this year.

The police said the bombs were being made to attack a Kazhakuttom-based gang suspected to be responsible for the bid on the life of Chandran last year.

Rivalry between the gangs in Kazhakuttom had resulted in the death of at least two persons this year.

Several more were injured in the gang war that has been raging for almost two years. Meanwhile, the police have launched a drive against criminal gangs in Kazhakuttom. Last week, the police arrested three persons on the charge of making country-bombs for gangsters. Nearly 100 kg of explosives were seized. The police also arrested a local businessman on the charge of supplying explosives to criminal elements.

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