Suspected ULFA militants triggered two back to back blasts near a police station in Assam's Nalbari district today, killing seven persons and injuring 53 others.

The bombs strapped to bicycles exploded 15 minutes of each other and 50 metres apart, Nalbari police superintendent Jitmol Doley said.

Rumours of a third blast in the town were discounted by the police.

The first blast which was of mild intensity occurred at at 9.55 AM while the second bomb, planted inside the iron rods of two bicycles exploded 15 minutes after causing the casualty.

Though the ULFA has denied its involvement in blasts, calling it a "conspiracy by a section to derail the peace process", Inspector-General of Police (law and order) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said ULFA was indeed behind the blasts caused by an IED strapped to the bicycles.

The ULFA's 709 battalion commander and in-charge of lower Assam Hira Sarania told a local news channel that his organisation was not involved in the blasts which took place six days after it burnt down 12 oil tankers and derailed for bogies of a goods train in Sibsagar district.

A senior police official said there were reports of a group of nine ULFA militants belonging to its 709 and 27 battalion entering the state to carry out subversive

activities.