20 hurt in ULFA-triggered blast in Assam

Twenty persons were injured, two of them critically, when suspected United Liberation Front of Assam militants triggered a blast near the the Revenue circle office at Bijni in Chirang district of Assam on Thursday  afternoon even as an unidentified caller threatened massive explosions in three main cities--Guwahati, Jorhat and Sivasagar--in Assam soon.

Police sources said that the bomb was planted on a bicycle by a suspected ULFA militant aged about 35, who was seen by a person injured in the blast. Two critically injured persons were rushed to Guwahati medical college hospital while the rest were being treated at a local hospital.

Meanwhile, the police control room in Guwahati received an anonymous call threate there would be blasts in Guwahati, Jorhat and Sivasagar soon. The call sent the state police into a tizzy. Security has been geared up all over the state where there was a lull in militants activities in last couple of months.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has ruled out any possibility of withdrawal of the Army from the counter-insurgency operation in the state in view of improvement of situation in ULFA stronghold in eastern Assam districts where 'A' and 'C' companies of the 28th battalion of the ULFA had called for unilateral truce about three months back with an intention to facilitate peace talks between the ULFA top brass and the Indian government.

"There may be improvement of security scenario a long time in three eastern Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar. But question of withdrawing the Army does not arise," Gogoi said.