Major bomb blast ahead of PM Modi's visit foiled in Assam

Guwahati, Nov 24: A powerful bomb was found in the compartment of a local train at a railway station near Guwahati on Monday, Nov 24, a day after a powerful blast killed two people and injured over 25 others in Dibrugarh, police said.

The bomb was found at Kendukona railway station aboard the intercity express running between Alipurduar in northern West Bengal to Kamakhya junction in Guwahati.

Government Railway Police (GRP) officials said the train was halted at Kendukona after security personnel spotted in a coach an unclaimed plastic bag covered with a towel and wires sticking out from it.

The station master was immediately informed and the train was halted there. A team of bomb experts defused the explosive, and a thorough search was carried out of the train, police said.

Investigations are on and speaking to Oneindia, sources indicated that this was a local group in Assam which planned on carrying out the attack. Assam has been under the scanner of several jihadis groups and even the investigation into the Burdhwan blast led up to major modules in Assam.

The toll in Sunday's blast in Dibrugarh district rose to two after one of the injured, a young student, died at the Assam Medical College and Hospital.

The blast and Monday's bomb recovery took place ahead of the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Assam Nov 29-30 for the two-day All-India conference of Directors-General of Police.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, meanwhile, claimed that his government has been able to contain all forms of terrorism.

"Our government has been able to contain all forms of terrorism following a slew of security measures. We will also deal very firmly with jihadi groups and foil their sinister designs to set up base in Assam," he tweeted Sunday.

IANS