*54 dead so far, very tragic indeed. The United Liberation Front of Assam is thought to be behind it. *
A series of nine near-simultaneous explosions ripped through crowded areas in four districts of a northeastern Indian state Thursday.A man tries to extinguish a fire after one of the blasts in northeastern India on Thursday.
At least 54 people were killed, while another 224 were wounded in the blasts, in the remote state of Assam, police told CNN.
Officials said the death toll may rise. They sealed off exit points from the state, and rushed in paramilitary forces to secure refineries in the oil-rich region.
Police officers fanned out to heavily populated areas, combing them for unexploded bombs.
“There may be more blasts, you never know. But we are taking all precautions,” Deputy Inspector General of Police N.I. Hussain told CNN’s sister network, CNN-IBN.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. But suspicion fell on the separatist group, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).
The group has waged a 20-year rebellion demanding more autonomy from the central government. Intelligence sources told CNN-IBN that very few other groups have the ability to launch such a coordinated attack.
Three other blasts in the state this year were blamed on ULFA. In addition, the group is blamed for the deaths of 42 migrant workers in a series of small arms attacks in January 2007, for bombing an Indian paramilitary forces bus in 2004, and for attacking a pipeline that supplied oil to three of Assam’s major refineries.
At the same time, the state has seen clashes between local tribal people, known as the Bodo, and immigrants from Bangladesh, with which Assam shares a porous border. Fighting between the two groups killed at least 47 this month.
The first pictures from Thursday’s blast scenes showed rows upon rows of charred cars – their windows punched out, their metal frames mangled and twisted by the heat.
Plumes of smoke turned the sky black, while ash rained down and blanketed the ground in gray.
Police reported nine explosions: in the the capital city of Guwahati, which is in the Kamrup district, as well as in the districts of Kokrajhar, Barpeta and Bongaigaon.
dekhna abhi kuch hi dino main wahan se ISI ke agent milain gai jinkey paas pakistan ka passport, Id card, birth certificate and even family pictures bhi hongi lolz
The BJP does know how to use any situation. and the Assam blasts now enforces its advocacy that POTA must be implemented.
today its all 24 hour Assam baandh, and last Saturday was 12 hour state baandh.
Guwahati, Nov 5, 20008: Unlike the rumours and media reports that Muslim organizations were behind Assam blasts, officials investigating the case have said that it was ULFA that carried out the 13 blasts in Assam that killed more than 80 people.
A report in India’s leading national news daily Asian Age has said that the huge blasts were carried out by outlawed ULFA that has been involved in anti-India insurgency for several decades in the state.
Not to blame any religious groups, these ppl have no religion, but ISF-IM had CLAIMED the blasts, though, now Huji is suspected to help them too.
ULFA doesnt do blasts of these magnitude. they do small blasts just to make the state govt see a point. they wont kill the igneous ppl, whome they are supposed to be fighting for. ULFA never had mass support, and it is in the last days of its survival. now its talking with both the state and central govt for safe passage and possible all-out surrender. the least it can do now is to blast ppl around.
and i live in Assam.
Not to blame any religious groups, these ppl have no religion, but ISF-IM had CLAIMED the blasts, though, now Huji is suspected to help them too.
ULFA doesnt do blasts of these magnitude. they do small blasts just to make the state govt see a point. they wont kill the igneous ppl, whome they are supposed to be fighting for. ULFA never had mass support, and it is in the last days of its survival. now its talking with both the state and central govt for safe passage and possible all-out surrender. the least it can do now is to blast ppl around.
and i live in Assam.
You sound like an expert or insider of ULFA.
Oye yeh Sheeday ka kaam nahin ho sakta, mainu pata eh!
Eh Bhole da kaam lagta eh.
I hope Indian friends start looking and reaaly sincerely find people in their own country including in their army before accussing and yelling all over the world against Pakistan.
