At least 61 people
were killed and about 470 injured in 13 near-simultaneous blasts in
Guwahati and three other towns today in the deadliest attacks in Assam
by suspected HuJI militants.
The first of the explosions went off at around 11.30 AM near the
Ganeshguri flyover near the high-security capital complex housing the
Assembly building, followed by explosions at Paltan Bazar and Fancy
Bazar here.
Around the same time, bombs also went off in crowded market places of
Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts in lower Assam.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi put the toll at 61 dead and 470 injured. Of
the six blasts in Guwahati, RDX was used in two of the explosions, he
said adding a special task force has been set up to unearth the
conspiracy behind the blasts.
Black smoke billowed from the Deputy Commissioner's Office housing the
district courts, which bore the brunt of the attacks in Guwahati, as
vehicles, including a number of cars, turned into mangled heaps of
metal.
Police suspected that the bomb was planted in the court complex on a
two-wheeler.
At least 26 people were killed in the blasts in Guwahati where an
indefinite curfew was clamped following protests by residents, who
accused the police of delayed action, Health Minister Himanta Biswa
Sarmah said.
While 21 were killed in Kokrajhar, 14 died in Barpeta Five people were
injured in Bongaigaon, Principal Secretary (Home) Subhash Das told PTI.
