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Assam
blast toll rises to six
Guwahati:
The toll in the blasts in Assam on Thursday afternoon
has gone up to six. Over 50 people were also wounded when
suspected separatist militants set off the bombs in the
state capital. The first bomb was found in a dustbin in
a heavily populated residential area of Guwahati, but
went off before a disposal squad could defuse it. The
two other improvised explosive devices planted on bicycles
exploded in the late afternoon, one of them near a crowded
shopping mall, the other at a street market.
The blasts took place when Union Home Minister P Chidambaram
was on his way to the city on an official visit. The three
explosions occurred at three places - Birubari, Bhootnath,
Bhangagarh - in the capital city. The first bomb blast
occurred in Birubari at 2.25 p.m, the second in Bhootnath
at 5.15 p.m, and the third took place near Big Bazar outlet
in Bhangarh at 5.50 p.m. Earlier, senior police officials
of the State said the blasts were of low-intensity in
nature. "One person had succumbed to his injuries and
17 people are injured, one of them is critically injured.
We know who is behind at least one of the blasts and who
might have master minded. But I cannot reveal that to
prevent creating problem in the way of ongoing investigation.
We confirm ULFA is behind it," said Assam's Deputy General
of Police G.M. Srivastava.
The serial blasts have occurred ahead of the new Home
Minister P.Chidambaram's scheduled visit to Assam. Police,
however, described the latest incidents as "usual" ahead
of such high profile visits. "Ahead of a Minister's visit,
they (militants) do try to make their presence felt. It
is low intensity blasts.
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Craters
on a street in Guwahati after a bomb blast
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These
are usual on Jan.1 or Dec.31," said Srivastava added.
Police said that the first blast was minor. However, the
2nd and 3rd blasts caused injuries. The blast at Bhootnath
area left one person dead and 10 others wounded. Police
said cycle bomb was used in Bhootnath blast. "Bikers put
explosive in a dustbin and escaped," said the DGP G.M.
Srivastava. Three persons were injured in Birubari area.
Official sources said the Improvised Explosive Devise
(IED) kept in a Gauhati Municipal Corporation dustbin
went off at around 3.30 p.m. On Oct.30, 2008, Assam witnessed
serial blasts that left 88 people dead.
-Jan
2, 2009
