At least two persons were killed and about 10 injured when a powerful explosion occurred in a crowded evening market at the Maligaon Shuttle Gate locality in Guwahati on Friday. The blast, said to be from an improvised explosive device (IED), occurred at about 6:30 PM.

The bomb was planted on a bicycle and placed between two cars, killing two persons on the spot. The number of casualties was, however, less because of the barrier created by the two cars.

"It was an IED, and we suspect this to be the handiwork of the ULFA," Pradip Chandra Saloi, SP, Guwahati City Police, told The Indian Express.

Assam Health Minister, who visited the blast site an hour afterwards, said the blast was caused by militants to gain publicity especially at a time when the state Assembly was in session. "We can't rule out the involvement of the ULFA. They have definitely done this to gain publicity," the minister said.

While one of the seriously injured was shifted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital and seven admitted to the Railway Hospital, three have been admitted to a private hospital at Maligaon. Some of the injured have been identified as Bijoy Bhuyan, Kalpana Bhuyan, Manoj Prasad, Ratan Sharma, Binod Sharma, Rajiv Sharma.

The blast occurred within 24 hours of Pranjal Deka, one of the two prime suspects of the January 1 Guwahati blasts, being killed in a joint operation by the police and the Army in a village near Rangiya in Kamrup district, about 50 kms from here.

... contd.