Terror grips schools kids

Guwahati, May 26 (UNI) The casuality in today's blast in Guwahati would have been much higher had the blast went off few minutes early.

At least seven persons were killed and 16 injured in the IED blast near a hospital at the Athgaon area in Guwahati at 1030 hours, the deadliest attack by the ULFA in the last six months.

Locals said there are fours schools in the SC Road, where the blast took place, and between 0800 hours to and 1000 hours, the place in brewing with students and guardians coming to the schools.Besides, there is also the Marwari Maternity Hospital and the Ganesh Mandir on the same road.

Had the blast went off before 1000 hours, the casualty would have been much higher and students would have been the victims, the local residents said.

Meanwhile, the police said the ULFA has changed tactics by planting bombs in autorickshaws now instead of motorcycles and bicycles.

Till recently, the ULFA had exploded bombs in cycles, motorcycles and rickshaws.

Today's blast took place in an autorickshaw.

The impact of the explosion was severe due to a gas cylinder kept in the autorickshaw along with the bomb. The change of tactics stems from the fact that security check in motorcycles plying on the roads have been intensified, police said.

UNI