Grenade attack rocks Assam, 2 SSB personnel among 8 hurt
The attack comes close on the heels of a high-level security review meeting chaired by CM Sonowal on Wednesday.
Guwahati: After a long lull, suspected Ulfa-I rebels on Wednesday launched a lethal grenade attack in a crowded locality on the zoo road and injured at least eight persons, including two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel.
Among those injured one was a popcorn vendor. His condition was stated to be very critical.
The outlawed Ulfa-I chief Paresh Baruah, who called up newspaper offices soon after the grenade attack, claimed the responsibility of the blast and clarified that they were targeting the security forces, but some civilians also came under the attack.
Confirming that condition of at least two among those critically wounded was critical, the deputy commissioner of police central zone said that militants targeted a fixed security picket of SSB on RG Baruah Road near the state zoo. “It would very early to say the name of any militant outfits, but preliminary investigation indicates it to be the handiwork of some militant groups. We are yet to ascertain the kind of explosive used by the militants,” he said, pointing out that all those wounded have been shifted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
Security sources told this newspaper that the MHA had alerted the state police force about the possible attack by outlawed Ulfa-I rebels in one of the crowded locality of the capital city.
Though there has been heavy police checking all across the capital city, Ulfa-I rebels managed to launch the offensive, security sources said. High alert has been sounded in Guwahati following the blast. All entry and exit routes have been put under surveillance.
The grenade attack comes close on the heels of a high-level security review meeting, chaired by Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, earlier on Wednesday in which DGP Kuladhar Saikia, additional chief secretary (home and political) Kumar Sanjay Krishna, principal secretary to the CM Sanjay Lohiya, commissioner and secretary (home and political) Ashutosh Agnihotri, commissioner of police Guwahati Deepak Kumar, DCPs from east, west and central districts of Guwahati and other senior officers were present.
Mr Sonowal had called upon the police top brass to mull strategies for each police district of Guwahati in order to put a tab on criminal activities and provide security to every city dweller.