Violence returns, serial blasts in Asom

Guwahati, Jan 17 (UNI) Day after the Prime Minister's visit, violence returned to Asom as ULFA today carried out serial blasts in lower Asom, vanquishing all big talks of security in the state.

The ULFA bombed Ganeshguri, the second in a span of five days, Goalpara and Badarpur.

In the Ganeshguri wholesale market, nine people were injured, two of them critically. The bomb was kept inside a vegetable box.

The ULFA made a mockery of the Army deployment choosing fresh areas like Badarpur and Golapara areas, where traditionally militancy -related violence was non-existent. The serial blasts came barely 24 hour after Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh visited Upper Asom.

Meanwhile, the Army today set up a new brigade in Upper Asom.

Brigadier I P S Gill would head the new brigade. The brigade headquarters will be at Dibrugarh and it will be responsible for cleansing the militants from Dibrugarh district.

The 311 Mountain Division was earlier posted at Rupa in Bomdilla district from where it was moved to Upper Asom following violence.

Each brigade has roughly 3000 personnel.

Sources confirmed that Laipuli-based other bridge will mainly concentrate on Tinsukia district. Both brigade were being controlled from the Divisional headquarters at Dinjan, headed by Lt Gen N C Marwah.

Police arrested hardcore ULFA militant Nazrul Islam from Haaraobari of the Gosaigaon sub-division in the Kokrajhar area of lower Asom.

Eds: Pl pick up suitably from earlier series.

UNI