M A I N   N E W S

3 killed in Assam train blast
Bijay Sankar Bora
Tribune News Service

Guwahati, December 2
Three persons, including a child, were killed and over 30 others injured in a powerful train blast, triggered by suspected militants, at Diphu railway station in Karbi Anglong district of Assam on Tuesday morning.

In a separate incident, tribal militants gunned down two Hindi-speaking persons in the same district. Police also recovered two live bombs underneath two culverts on the Dokmoka-Tamenglong road in the hill district.

Karbi Anglong superintendent of police (SP) K.K. Sharma informed that the coach number 8209 of 901 Up Lumding -Tinsukia passenger train was completely destroyed by the powerful explosion. The train was stationery when the blast took place. Those who were killed have been identified as Moni Debnath (35), Raju Debnath (7), Kamal Singh Teron (28).

The injured were rushed to railway hospital in Lumding from where six critically hurt were rushed to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH). Some of the injured were also shifted to the Army Hospital in Dimapur, The death toll was likely to go up, said sources.

It is believed that the bomb was planted in a vegetable basket. Such was the impact of the explosion that many passengers were thrown out of the coach, which was completely destroyed. Police said the damage in terms of human lives and property would have been far more had the bomb exploded while the train was on the move. The officials suspect hand of the banned Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), a Karbi-tribe militant group, behind the blast. The outfit has called for indefinite blockade in the area, demanding response from the government to its offer for peace talks.

Two Hindi-speaking men shot dead

Two Hindi-speaking persons, identified as Ram Kumar Sonar and Tara Sonar, were shot dead by suspected KLNLF militants in Dolamara area. The KLNLF is known to be operating in close coordination with the banned ULFA and was involved in attacks on the Hindi-speaking population in the district. President of Assam unit of BJP Ramen Deka today demanded ouster of the chief minister Tarun Gogoi for the ‘failure’ of the government to prevent terror strikes in the state. The BJP also demanded a statement from the government on what was being done to modernise the state police force to tackle the challenge posed by terrorists.