Blast rocks Guwahati within a week

Nearly four people are feared killed and above 20 injured in an IED (improvised explosive device) bomb blast in Maligaon area in Guwahati on Monday. The powerful explosion occurred in a car outside the sweet shop in Maligaon.

Death toll could rise as some of the injured persons admitted to the hospital are in critical condition, unconfirmed reports said.

After the blasts, several cars parked close to car in which IED was hidden were also damaged as they caught fire, eyewitnesses said.

Security forces soon cordoned the area and took the situation into control. Local police had initiated the search operation.

No terrorist outfit has claimed responsibility of the blast yet; the authorities suspected the blast could be the handiwork of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

This is the second incident within a week. On March 31, when the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was addressing a public rally near Jyotikuchi in Guwahati, a blast occurred hardly at a distance of 1.5 km from the venue, killed one people and injured 13 others. Coincidently, Mukherjee was speaking that there was an apprehension of terrorists strike with a sole purpose to disturb the Lok Sabha elections.