GUWAHATI, Oct 30 – Serial blasts rocked Assam today killing at least 76 persons including 46 in Guwahati city, while, more than 480 others were injured. The death toll may go up as the condition of some of the injured persons is stated to be critical. The identity of the miscreants involved in the blasts is yet to be ascertained but the needle of suspicion is pointed towards jehadi groups.

The State witnessed as many as 9 blasts at 11.30 am today in Guwahati city, Kokrajhar, Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon and all the bombs were fitted with timer devices. Police sources said that the militant attack was a well planned one with the bombs fitted with timer devices were timed to go off around the same time and the blasts followed the same pattern of the serial blasts in other parts of the country in recent months.

Official sources said that at least 46 persons were killed and more than 150 others were injured in three blasts in Guwahati city, at least 27 were killed and more than 60 others were injured in three blasts in Kokrajhar town, 18 were killed and 46 others were injured in two blasts in Barpeta road while, five persons were injured in a blast in Bongaigaon. A statewide alert has been sounded following the blasts and all the district police forces and the security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations have been put on high alert to prevent recurrence of any such incidents. The Government has also asked the Army to remain on alert.

The identity of the miscreants involved in the blasts is yet to be ascertained but police sources said that the involvement of jehadi groups cannot be ruled out. The police are also examining whether the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was involved in the gruesome incidents.

Police sources said that in the last few months, the security agencies received a number of intelligence inputs about the possibility of jehadi attacks in different parts of Assam, particularly in Guwahati city. Just before the Durga Puja festival early this month also, the security agencies received intelligence inputs about possible jehadi attacks. Under the circumstances, the possibility of involvement of jehadi groups in the blasts cannot be ruled out. At the same time, police is not ruling out the possibility of involvement of ULFA members in the blasts. However, the ULFA has reportedly denied its involvement in the blasts.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has strongly condemned the blasts and described the incidents as acts of cowardice by anti-national forces. He directed the law enforcing agencies to take immediate action to nab the culprits involved in the blasts.

In a statement here this evening, Gogoi said that he has already instructed the law enforcing agencies to take adequate precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

Gogoi appealed to the people of Assam to remain on high alert and to maintain calm. He appealed to the political parties to extend cooperation to the Government at this hour of crisis. He also instructed the health authorities to provide all required treatment to the injured persons and announced that the expenses would be borne by the Government.

Our Kokrajhar correspondent reports: Three blasts within a span of 10 minutes rocked Kokrajhar town today killing at least 21 persons and injuring more than 60 others. The death toll may go up as the condition of some of the injured persons is stated to be critical.

The first blast took place in the vegetable market in the town at around 11.30 am killing at least eight persons on the spot. The second blast took place in the fish market within five minutes of the first one and the third took place near the Railway gate in the heart of the town. The blasts terrorized the people of the town and all the shops and business establishments as well as Government offices and educational institutions closed down immediately and the streets wore a deserted look. The death toll was high as today was the weekly market day.

The injured have been shifted to the Rupnath Brahma civil hospital, while, a few of the seriously injured persons have also been shifted to West Bengal for treatment.

The Superintendent of Police of the district, Arabinda Kalita said that timer devices were used in the blasts. He said that all out efforts are made by the police to deal with the situation arising out of the blasts.

The Chief of the BTC, Hagrama Mahilary, who camped in the civil hospital , said that the Government should immediately institute a thorough probe into the blasts. He pointed out that the blasts were of the similar pattern of the blasts in other parts of the country in recent months.

Former Member of Parliament UG Brahma said that the blasts might be handiwork of the elements of international terror network.

Our Correspondent from Barpeta adds: In a gruesome incident of bomb blasts, at least 13 people were killed and more than hundred injured in Barpeta Road, the commercial hub of the Barpeta district this morning. The powerful PTDs blasted simultaneously around 11.15 am when the town was busy in commercial activities as it was the day for biweekly market being a Thursday. While the first blast occurred in busy vegetable market in North Barpeta Road, the second blasts took place in Choudhury Market Complex.

According to police sources, the bombs were kept in bicycle. They also confirmed the death of eleven persons on the spot and one in Barpeta Civil Hospital. However, unofficial sources claimed the death toll at thirteen with possibility of more casualities.” At least two persons sent to Guwahati for treatment are dead,” an eyewitness said.

The eleven deceased have been identified as Jayanta Das 32 (Dhupguri), Manik Saha 24 (Babupara, Barpeta Road), Abu Bakkar Khan, 38, (Khudnabaki), Amzad Hussain-40 (Barapeta), Hussain Ali -32 (North Barpeta Road), Abdul Aziz 50 (Athgaon), Manser Ali-50 (Katajhar), Abubakkar Siddique (Barapeta), Abdul Rahim-65 (Khairabari), Uma Kulsan Bibi-25 (Bunmaja Pathar) and Nishi Kanta Das-60. (Atagaon). Out of these, Nishi Kanta Das succumbed to his injuries in Barpeta Civil Hospital.

So far, 67 injured persons have been admitted to Barpeta Civil Hospital out of which nine have been referred to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. Twenty critically injured have been sent to Guwahati directly from Barpeta Road taking the admitted person to till the filing of this report.

Our Correspondent from Bongaigaon adds: At least ten people sustained injuries when a powerful bomb exploded near Paglasthan here around 11-30 am today. The bomb was kept in a red coloured Pulsar bike bearing registration number AS-25 G-7043. The bike was parked in front of a shop Town Stores, in the morning hours. Ensuring it as abundant, locals informed the police. Police officers reached the spot late and lifted the bike after detecting in bomb towards a safe place by a crane. But bomb diffusion squad arrived late. In between the bomb exploded and left ten people injured including adl S.P, H. Barman, DSP Prasanta Dutta, Army Captain Varun, local social worker Ramen Roy and UB photo correspondent Aftaf Ali. Injured are under treatment in private hospitals.

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