மீண்டும் அஸாம் கம்யூனிஸ்டுகள் உழைக்கும் மக்களை தாக்கியிருக்கின்றனர்

அஸ்ஸாம் உல்பா கம்யூனிஸ்டுகள் மீண்டும் உழைப்பாளிகளை தாக்கி 6 பேரை கொன்று பலரை படுகாயமடையச் செய்திருக்கின்றனர்.

பிடிஐ செய்தி
Assam bomb blast kills seven, another bomb defused

The injured being taken to hospital from the blast site, after a powerful bomb exploded by ULFA militants in Athgaon area of Guwahati city on Saturday. Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

Guwahati, May 26 (PTI): The ULFA today struck in a big way on the eve of Tarun Gogoi government's one year in office by exploding a powerful bomb in the heart of this city killing seven persons and injuring 30 others, as security forces also seized a time bomb in an unclaimed trunk from a train.

The powerful bomb hidden in an autorickshaw went off at around 10.45 am at Athgaon area killing five passersby and shoppers on the spot, police said.

Two injured persons succumbed to their injuries at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

The explosion impacted an LPG cylinder being transported at the time in a cycle rickshaw which exploded injuring 30 others and damaged two vehicles and two autorickshaws, the sources said.

The incident comes on the eve of Tarun Gogoi government's one year in office in its second term.

Utter confusion and panic followed the blasts as police moved in and cordoned off the area.

A PTI correspondent on the scene found headless bodies and body parts strewn on the road where the blast occurred.

Twentytwo of the injured were admitted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, one to the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Civil Hospital and others to private hospitals.

People at nearby Fancy Bazar took to the streets to protest the blast and pelted stones at the police.

Meanwhile, another major mishap was averted with the recovery of a nine kg live programmable time device in an unclaimed trunk from a compartment of the the Delhi-Guwahati Bramhaputra Mail at Kokrajhar railway station.

The GRP found the trunk and offloaded it from the train and called in sniffer dogs and the army bomb disposal squad.

The bomb was taken away for defusing.

Centre acts swiftly, rushes forces

Acting swiftly, the Centre today rushed additional para-military forces to beef up security in Assam after ULFA militants triggered a powerful blast in Guwahati which left seven persons dead and 30 injured.

The Union Home Ministry directed the state government to remain vigilant and ensure that nothing untoward happens, a Ministry spokesman said.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil strongly condemned the blast, which occurred on the eve of Tarun Gogoi Government's completion of one year in office.

While Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta rang up the state Chief Secretary to take stock of the situation, the Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry spoke to the state poice chief.

ULFA triggers seven blasts in May

The proscribed ULFA has been triggering blasts in Assam with uniform regularity setting off seven explosive devices, including five in the capital city, this month, killing nine persons and injuring 100 others.

The insurgent outfit also made an abortive bid to explode another bomb during the month in the city.

The ULFA today triggered the explosion of a powerful bomb concealed inside an auto-rickshaw near the Marwari Maternity Hospital at the commercial Athgaon area, killing seven persons and injuring 30 others.

On May 18, the ULFA set off a bomb in adjacent Fancy Bazar injuring 20.

The local people, irked over the frequent blasts in the area, came out in thousands to stage a violent protest today alleging police failure to provide security.

The business community suspected that some ULFA members, in an attempt at land-grabbing in the prime commercial area of Fancy Bazar and nearby Athgaon, were triggering blasts to create a fear psychosis.

Athgaon has witnessed blasts carried out by ULFA twice earlier when on May 6, 19 persons were injured and on May 14, two persons were killed and eight others injured.

Earlier on May 3, the ULFA exploded a bomb in the premises of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown here injuring two of its employees.

On May 10, seven persons were injured in Upper Assam's Sibsagar town when one of ULFA's women cadres left a bag containing an explosive device inside a pathological centre.

On May 21, the banned outfit injured 14 persons in a powerful bomb explosion in Lower Assam's Bongaigaon district.