12 dead as twin blasts rock Guwahati

Guwahati: Twelve people were killed and over 50 injured when two simultaneous blasts rocked two busy areas of Guwahati on Sunday.

Bureau Chief, UNI (NE), Mrinal Talukdar, told CNN-IBN that police has confirmed that the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is responsible for the blasts.

Condemning the blasts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said, "Violence can never ahieve any goal." The Home Secretary is to hold a security review of the situation in Assam.

Three people were killed and more than 20 injured in a powerful explosion at Chai Galli of the busy commercial centre of Fancy Bazaar in the city at around 1845 hrs (IST), police said.

They said, in another explosion at Patharquarry area in Noonmati near Indian Oil Corporation's Guwahati Refinery and Oil India Limited (OIL) installations around the same time two persons were killed and five others were injured.

Senior police and civil officials rushed to the spot.

Centre convenes meeting to discuss situation

The Centre has convened a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the security situation in Assam whose capital was rocked by two simultaneous blasts by suspected ULFA on Sunday evening.

A meeting of the Unified Command comprising the army, para-military forces and the state police will also be held on Monday in Guwahati in the wake of the blasts.

Home Secretary V K Duggal has spoken to Assam Chief Secretary S Kabilan and took stock of the situation in the aftermath of the blasts.

A meeting of Union Home Ministry officials, Director General of Military Operations, Director General of Military Intelligence and Intelligent Bureau and CRPF officials would be held on Monday to discuss the security scenario in the state.

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After the meeting in Guwahati, the Assam Chief Secretary will send a report to the Union Home Ministry following which the Centre will review the situation there.

Meanwhile, a top Union Home Ministry official said that no group has taken responsibility for the blasts, which did not cause any damage to the infrastructure.

Assam govt suspects role of ULFA or jehadi groups

Assam government is not ruling out the involvement of ULFA or jehadi groups like Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba in Sunday's blasts in Guwahati.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said: "The initial investigation reports suggest that the blast could be the handiwork of ULFA".

Assam Chief Secretary S Kabilan said the blasts could be the handiwork of ULFA or some jehadi groups.

"It could be the act of ULFA. But we do not want to rule out the involvement of jehadi groups as they have been trying to target Guwahati for quite some time now," he said.

Gogoi announced Rs 3 lakh as compensation to the next of the kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. The government will also bear the medical expenses for treatment of the injured.

Condemning the blast as an act of cowardice, he said: "I have directed security agencies to step up vigil. The situation in the state is fully under control.”

The Assam Chief Secretary has convened a meeting of Unified Command structure on Monday in the state capital to review the prevailing situation arising out of the blasts.

The Chief Secretary, however, said the situation in the state was fully under control and calm.

(With agency inputs)