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GUWAHATI: Eleven persons, including two SSB jawans, have been injured in a grenade blast, for which the banned Ulfa (I) has claimed responsibility, in the heart of the city on Wednesday evening.

The injured have been rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital and a couple of private hospitals. The conditions of two is stated to be critical.

Some eyewitnesses said that the grenade was lobbed from a motorbike while some said from inside a moving SUV at a temporary security check point manned by Assam Police and SSB from the opposite side in front of a shopping mall in the densely populated and busy commercial area on Zoo Road. Most of the civilian injured were those who were being checked at the police check point.

The banned outfit, which is on the run after its base in NSCN (K) area for more than two decades in Myanmar has been uprooted by the neighbouring country’s military, has claimed responsibility for the blast saying that the attack was on the security personnel.

Security forces say that ULFA(I) leader Paresh Baruah is under pressure after his men have started fleeing Myanmar along with caches of weapons following the Myanmarese army crackdown. The Indian security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations along the Myanmar border have been mobilized to round up fleeing Indian militant groups of Ulfa (I), National Democratic Front of Bodoland, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation and a hosts of Manipur militant outfits.

The blast occurred at around 8pm, a day after police and Army achieved a major success by apprehending three ULFA (I) cadres, who have fled from Myanmar along with sophisticated arms and ammunition in Tarani Reserve Forest of Tinsukia District. From them, security forces have recovered an AK 56, an AK-81, and an HK rifles apart from these two hand grenades, nine magazines and 425 rounds of ammunition.

On Monday another Ulfa(I) cadre, who had fled from Myanmar, was apprehended in Sivasagar district.

Assam Police director general Kuladhar Saikia said, “We have started the investigation to pin-point the group or militant outfit behind the blast. Militant cadres from Myanmar are fleeing and we have been able to either nab them or they have surrendered before police. Only the investigation will confirm if there is any connection between the Myanmar episode and today’s blast.”



In Video: Guwahati: At least 6 injured in a grenade blast