Violence returns to Asom, ULFA triggers serial blasts

Guwahati, Jan 17 (UNI) A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit, violence returned to Asom as ULFA triggered serial blasts in lower Asom, diminishing further chances for peace talks between the government and the banned outfit.

ULFA carried out blasts at Ganeshguri, the second in a span of five days, Goalpara and Badarpur.

In a blast at Ganeshguri wholesale market, nine people were injured, two of them critically. Police said the bomb had been kept inside a vegetable box.

Even after deployment of the Army in the state to control escalating violence, ULFA chose areas like Badarpur and Golapara, where traditionally militancy-related violence was non-existent.

The serial blasts came barely 24 hours after the Prime Minister visited Upper Asom in the aftermath of the ULFA-triggered violence directed mainly against the Hindi-speaking migrant labourers.

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 Dibrugarh district of militants.

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

Each brigade consists of roughly over 3000 personnel.

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

Police arrested a 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