Curfew on in Upper Asom as ULFA explosion rocks Guwahati

Guwahati, May 14 (UNI) Suspected ULFA militants triggered a blast, killing two persons, in the heart of Guwahati city today even as curfew continued in several parts of violence-torn Tinsukia district of Upper Asom where seven people were killed yesterday.

In a blast at about 1230 hours in the busy Athgaon area of the capital city, two persons were killed and 17 injured, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) S N Singh said.

The bomb was planted on a motorcycle in front of a building, he added.

Meanwhile, the situation in ethnic violence-torn Tinsukia district remained tensed and curfew was expanded to the oil township of Digboi today with tense mounting in the greater Digboi and Doomdooma areas.

The police station areas of Kakopathar, Dhola, Doomdooma and Pengeri were placed under curfew yesterday after tea garden workers clashed with Assamese speaking youth.

According to Deputy Commissioner A K Afsar Hazarika, six people were killed in the group clash while another one in an accident and 11 were seriously injured when the violence took an ugly turn yesterday.

The government, Opposition political parties and even the ULFA have urged both the groups to restrain themselves, saying that the clash started following confusion.

The Opposition, however, blamed the government of failure while the ULFA termed it as a Congress strategy.

The tea garden labourers as well as Assamese speaking youths were trying regroup and relaunch attacks on each other even as security forces had been fanning out to entire district.

There were also reports of ten youths absconding so far. The tension has been brewing as rumours of attacks were further compounding the situation.

What began from a road blockade had now turned into a full fledged battle between tea garden labourers and the Assamese speaking youth, with authorities contemplating issuing of shoot-at-sight order if situation did not improve by evening.

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