Agartala, Oct 1 (IANS) At least two people were killed and about 100 injured when four powerful bombs went off within half an hour in the Tripura capital Wednesday evening, the police said. Three bombs were recovered and defused later.
“The first bomb went off at the popular Maharajganj Bazar (Gol Bazar) at about 7 p.m., followed by three near-simultaneous blasts, one at the G.B. Market, one at the Radhanagar public bus stand and the last in Krishnanagar locality,” Tripura police spokesman Nepal Das told IANS.
“Two people were killed on the spot at Maharajganj Bazar and G.B. Bazar,” he said.
A huge contingent of security forces led by senior police officials cordoned off all the four places and the investigations were on.
Das said those injured, including a number of women, were rushed to the G.B. Pant Medical College and Hospital here.
Panic spread in Agartala – barely one and a half km from the border with Bangladesh – as three bombs were recovered and defused in the heart of the city later in the evening.
The terror attack came on the eve of the Eid-ul-Fitr and ahead of the five-day Durga Puja festival beginning Sunday.
No group has as yet claimed responsibility for the blasts.
“We are yet to ascertain the nature of the blasts and the group behind them,” said Director General of Police Pranay Sahay.
“A red alert has been sounded all over the bordering state and the security forces have been asked to maintain a close vigil over the prevailing situation,” Sahay told reporters.
Nabanita Roy, an eyewitness, said: “Two youths on a motorbike left a container in a box at the Radhanagar bus stand. Smoke started coming out of it and soon there was a huge explosion.”
The modus operandi was similar to the most recent three low-intensity blasts elsewhere in India – notably in Mehrauli of New Delhi Saturday and in Modasa of Gujarat and Malegaon of Maharashtra Monday night.
Tripura, which has seen insurgency and violence, had never been targeted with serial bombings.