By KUNA,
New Delhi : At least six people were killed and 35 injured, in an attack masterminded by outlawed terror group ULFA, in Indias Northeastern of Assam Sunday.
The explosion occurred at a weekly market in Assams Kumarikata village this afternoon, news agency Indo Asian News Service reported, quoting a police spokesperson.
All the six people were killed on the spot. The market was crowded when the attack took place, the spokesperson said. The injured included two personnel of Assam police and all of them have been admitted to a hospital. The condition of at least 15 of the injured are stated to be critical. Most of the injured were either shoppers or shopkeepers.
The spokesperson blamed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for the blast.
Yesterday, 10 people were injured in a blast carried out by ULFA at a market in Assam’s Nagaon town.
The recent violence comes even as several rebel commanders of the ULFA’s 28th battalion declared a unilateral ceasefire following differences of with the groups central leadership.
“Today’s blast is an attempt by the ULFA’s 709 battalion to prove their prowess,” the spokesperson said, adding, however, the group today did not enjoy any ground support in the state and their cadres were a demoralised lot with the leadership dictating orders from foreign lands. ULFA is waging an insurgency since 1979 to create a “sovereign Assam ” carved out of India. Most of its top leadership is reported to be based in neighbouring Bangladesh and operating from there. The group has been alleged of maintaining links with Pakistan ‘s Inter Services Intelligence. ULFA also operates out of bases in neighbouring Myanmar and carry out hit-and-run strike in Assam.
Leading US think tank “Stratfor” last year in a report — ‘India: ULFA Abandons Peace Talks’ — had said that ULFA was keen to work with groups like Bangladesh-based Harkt-ul-Jihadi- Islamia in India’s Northeast and was outsourcing terror operations.