5 killed in blast on train, North Bengal militants suspected

At least five persons were killed and 15 others critically injured when a powerful bomb went off on the Haldibari-New Jalpaiguri passenger train near the Belakoba station in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal on Monday evening.

At least five persons were killed and 15 others critically injured when a powerful bomb went off on the Haldibari-New Jalpaiguri passenger train near the Belakoba station in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal on Monday evening.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the blast, police say the needle of suspicion points to the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation KLO, a militant outfit seeking a homeland for the Rajbanshis, the Kochs, and other ethnic minorities, carved out of six northern districts of the state. The group is believed to have links with ULFA.

The blast occurred in a general compartment, when the train was near Belakoba, about 25 km from the New Jalpaiguri station. The toll could go up, as many of the injured passengers are in critical condition. Most of the injured are being treated at the district hospital in New Jalpaiguri.

One possibility security forces are considering is that the blast may have been carried out by KLO for ULFA, or by ULFA itself, for the Assam outfit8217;s peace talks with the Centre broke down recently.

The KLO had been lying low since the joint operation against the ULFA and the KLO by the Indian and Bhutanese armies in 2003.

ULFA has been training KLO cadres in north Bengal in using weapons and carrying out subversive activities. The two groups had together carried out a raid on the CPM party office in Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district in 2003, gunning down five CPM leaders and cadres.

Links between the two were established beyond doubt during the Indo-Bhutanese operations. In fact, a couple of top most leaders of KLO 8212; particularly its chairman Jiban Singh 8212; managed to cross over to Bangladesh with some ULFA leaders during the operations.

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Jiban Singh is one who might be trying to 8220;regroup8221; the disjointed KLO activists. There were recent reports of 8220;new recruitments8221; to the KLO from Barovisa in the Coochbehar district, bordering Assam.

A rehabilitation package for KLO, initiated after the joint operations, had not been very successful. There were allegations that many cadres did not received the full amount promised, and that CPM cadres siphoned off the money.

However, security forces are also considering the possibility of the blast occurring 8220;accidentally8221; while powerful explosives smuggled in from Bangladesh were being transported to end-users in Siliguri. Haldibari, the terminus from which the train runs to New Jalpaiguri, is right on the border with Bangladesh.

One thing is clear 8212; that Siliguri is a danger zone, with the ULFA, the KLO, and Boro groups active in the region. Then there is the risk from the Nepal corridor, which is used by foreign-backed militant groups.