By IANS,
Guwahati : At least 15 people were injured, two of them critically, in a powerful explosion Thursday in Assam’s Chirang district.
A police spokesperson said the blast took place at Bijni in Chirang district, about 230 km west of Assam’s main city Guwahati.
“The explosion took place in a crowded place close to a government office. Most victims were shoppers or office goers,” Inspector General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told IANS.
Of the 15 injured, two of them were stated to be critical.
“All the injured were shifted to hospitals with multiple wounds,” the official said.
Police blamed the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for the attack.
“We suspect it was the handiwork of the ULFA as they have suffered reverses and a few of them have surrendered in the last few days,” Mahanta said.
The ULFA, fighting for an independent homeland since 1979, is split, with a potent striking unit of the outfit declaring a ceasefire in June.
“Investigations are on to ascertain the nature of explosives used in the blast,” the official said.