Militants blast rail tracks in Assam

Guwahati, July 31: Militants today struck twice in lower Assam by blasting rail tracks resulting in the derailment of a goods train and i...

Guwahati, July 31: Militants today struck twice in lower Assam by blasting rail tracks resulting in the derailment of a goods train and injury to its driver, and ambushing a CRPF convoy, official sources here said.

Passengers of two trains Avadh-Assam Express from New Delhi and Siphung Express from Bongaigaon had a providential escape when the blast took place on the tracks between Barpeta and Sorupeta railway stations in Barpeta, derailing 11 bogeys of the goods train minutes after the express trains had crossed.

In another incident, 20 CRPF men escaped unhurt when a powerful explosive device went off in Nalbari district.

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The sources said the bogeys of the goods train carrying foodgrains from New Delhi derailed and its driver was injured as the powerful improvised explosive device, suspected to have been planted by Bodo militants, went off under its engine.

The engine was damaged under the impact of the blast while the driver was immediately shifted to a hospital.

Traffic on the broadguagesection on which the mishap occurred was immediately suspended and government railway police (GRP) sources said the tracks were likely to be cleared by Tuesday.

Major trains were either diverted or terminated at various places while some were scheduled to originate from New Bongaigaon where the passengers would be transhipped by bus from here, they said.

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The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sources said at least 20 CRPF men had a miraculous escape when a powerful IED, planted by suspected ULFA ultras, went off in lower Assam’s Nalbari district in early in the day.They said the 22 battalion men were coming from Barpeta to their headquarters in Dhamdhama when the blast took place near Balitara.There was an exchange of fire between security forces and militants before the ultras fled into nearby jungles, they said, adding that the two vehicles in which the securitymen were travelling suffered no damage as the time device went off minutes after the convoy passed.

At least 50 people have been picked upfor interrogation from nearby areas as a contingent of securitymen rushed to the spot and launched a combing operation to nab the culprits.

A railway press release said the down Brahmaputra Mail scheduled to leave Dibrugarh for New Delhi today and the Delhi-bound North East Express would remain cancelled.

The Howrah-bound Kamrup Express to leave Dibrugarh tomorrow was rescheduled to leave at 1100 hours while the passengers of the Brahmaputra Mail and the North East Express coming to Guwahati would be carried by bus from here to new Bongaigaon station for onward journey to Delhi.

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The passengers of Rajdhani Express due to leave tomorrow would be carried by railway busses at 1300 hours from here to New Bongaigaon for their journey to New Delhi.

The Guwahati-Bangalore Express of tomorrow has been rescheduled at 0500 hours for Tuesday while the Guwahati-Dadar Express of tomorrow would leave also on Tuesday. The down Avadh Assam Express scheduled to leave tomorrow was rescheduled to leave on Tuesday at 0600hours, it added.