Carnage,curfew,chaos in Upper Asom,violence spreads to lower Asom

Guwahati, Jan 8 (UNI) The orgy of violence spread to lower Asom with the ULFA targeting an army base on the outskirts of Guwahati this evening besides killing two persons in Golaghat, pushing the overall death toll to 68.

The police confirmed that two bombs went off simultaneously at Satgao-Narengi area, just a few metres away from the Narengi army base, the biggest ammunition depot of the Indian army in the North East.

Five persons were injured in the blast, one of them critically.

The identity of the injured had not yet been established.

The Hindi speaking trading community has meanwhile called for a Guwahati bandh on Wednesday in protest against the killings.

Meanwhile, two bodies were recovered from Barpathar area of the Golaghat district this morning and Asom government spokesman Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma confirmed that the death toll had touched 68.

The whole of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts have been reeling under terror and were under curfew. Although there was no fresh incident this morning, a communal tension has been simmering in the whole area.

The bodies of the deceased were finally cremated today after Railway Minister Laloo Prasad visited the area. Asom Governor Lt Gen Ajai Sinha also visited the area.

The army is out in full strength, so are the para military forces along with local police. Yet the ULFA went on killing Bihari labourerers every night.

Besides Bihar and Bengal, red alerts have been sounded in Meghalaya for any possible strike by the ULFA.

Additional para military forces have reached the troubled districts as they were being withdrawn from Karbi Anglong district where there was a local poll. The violence has now engulfed five districts of Asom with ULFA trying to spread it into all parts of the Brahmaputra valley.

MORE UNI