More blasts in Guwahati, violence continues in Assam

Guwahati, Jan 19 (UNI) Three people were injured as two blasts ripped through the state, on a day when the security forces made inroads in their counter insurgency offensives in Upper Asom.

Guwahati was witness to more explosion this evening in the busy Adabari area injuring at least three. The bomb was lobbed by the ULFA ultras froma speeding militants.

Earlier, in the day there was another powerful bomb exploded near Lakwa of Sivsagar district of Upper Asom. The crude pipeline belonging to the ONGC caught fire immediately raizing to ground 14 houses and eight shops. However there were no casualty in that blast.

The security forces also did manage to achieve some success as they picked up a top ULFA leader behind the recent massacre as well as unearthed a huge cache of explosives means for Republic day violence.

The arrested leader was identified as Dhurva Kurzu, the mastermind behind the Longsoal killing of Tinsukia where 13 Biharis were killed.

In a separate incident, police also unearthed the arms from Mamorani village near Digboi. The arms included 2 kilogram of TNT, 2 IED, 2 bombs, 17 detonator.

Meanwhile, the ULFA issued a fresh warning against Hindi speaking people to leave Asom, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Asom is for every Indian and ULFA has no right to talk on behalf of Assamese people.

Addressing a news conference, he asserted that both the Centre and Asom government were taking tough steps to neutralise the militant organisation and said ''sovereignty is non-negotiable''.

''We are ready to discuss development, but not for sovereignty.

The ULFA should not build castle in the air. For Assamese sovereignty is not the issue but the development is'' he said.

Further the Assam Sahitya Sabha (ASS) today asserted that Asom was an inseparable part of India and demands of 'sovereignty' were misplaced, adding that the peace parleys between the government and the ULFA had been 'vague discussions'.

UNI