Assam hit by blasts: 5 killed 80 injured

NI Wire

New Delhi

Mon, 30 Jun 2008: 

Assam's busy Kamarikata market encountered a powerful explosion in he afternoon time on Sunday taking the lives of five people and injuring around 80.

The bomb blasts took place in the weekly pig market close to Indo-Bhutan border at Kamarikata under Tamalpur police station of lower Assam's Baksa districand the second at Haibargaon in central Assam's Nagaon district.

Police later recovered a crude bomb which did not explode.

The first blast went off at around 1:10 p.m. in the crowded sphere of the market at Kumarikata killing five persons. According to the police, explosives were fastened to a bicycle.

As the mishappening took place in the pig market, most of those killed and injured were buyers and sellers of pig and they belonged to the Bodo and Adivasi communities.

The second one at Habarigaon occurred at around 8.10 p.m. when suspected ULFA militants throw a grenade at a police patrol party. Amongst the injured, there were five police personnel. About 20 injured are said to be in critical condition. The casualties were immediately rushed to the nearby local hospitals and those severely injured were taken to Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

The suspicion needle of the police points towards the involvement of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). The blast came off two days after a section of ULFA including the ‘28 battalion’ announced a ceasefire ending their three decade-long rebellion.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gagoi condemning the attack said that such incidents claiming innocent lives will no way solve the problem. He announced financial assistance to the families of the deceased.