The Hindu : Front Page : 5 killed, 75 injured in Assam blast

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Monday, Jun 30, 2008
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5 killed, 75 injured in Assam blast

Sushanta Talukdar

Police suspect explosion at a weekly market to be the handiwork of ULFA

Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

IN AGONY: The injured in the bomb blast in a weekly market being brought to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital on Sunday. —

Guwahati: Five people were killed and 75 injured in a bomb blast at a weekly pig market close to the Indo-Bhutan border at Kumarikata in Lower Assam’s Baksa district on Sunday afternoon.

Police suspect the blast to be the handiwork of the United Liberation Front of Asom. The ULFA, however, has not claimed responsibility.

More than 1,000 people were present at the market at the time of the blast.

Of the injured, 20 were stated to be in a serious condition. Thirty of the injured, including two police men, were brought to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital.

Most of the injured belonged to the Bodo and Adivasi communities.

Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) told The Hindu that a bomb planted on a bicycle went off 1.10 p.m. Initially four bodies were recovered but the death toll went up to five with one of the injured succumbing to his injuries on way to hospital.

It was the second blast in the State after two companies of the ULFA’s 28 Battalion declared unilateral truce last Tuesday.

On Saturday, nine people were injured in a blast at Haibargaon in central Assam’s Nagaon district.

Leaders of the two companies, while making their truce declaration public through a press conference, hoped that other battalions would also join them in declaring unilateral truce to put pressure on top brass of the outfit to sit for peace talks with the Centre.

The IGP said that remote places such as Kumarikata were used as hideouts by the ULFA and usually they refrained from carrying out blasts in such places so that they could take temporary shelter there. However, owing to their dwindling striking capability they seem to be resorting to trigger blasts even at those places used by them for their hideouts.

Police suspect that the blast was triggered by cadres of the ULFA’s 709 Battalion, which is active in Lower Assam.

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