No group claims responsibility for Bhutan blasts

While the first of the four explosions occurred at around 11.10 am near a vegetable market in the Samste dzongkhag (‘dzongkhag’ is Bhutanese for district), the second blast took place at around 11.45 am behind a restaurant in the heart of Thimphu, the state capital.

It was just outside the gate of a government guesthouse in Gedu, in Chukha dzongkhag that the third blast occurred at around 1.20 pm, while the fourth explosion was reported from Dagapela in Dagana dzongkhag at 2.10 pm. One explosive device was also recovered from the same locality in Dagapela, reports quoting officials said.

“The Bhutan Tiger Force, Bhutan Maoists Party, and Communist Party of Bhutan, all based in Nepal are suspected to be behind these explosions,” reports quoting a spokesman of the Bhutan Police in Thimphu said.

The Himayalan kingdom incidentally is heading for its first ever election on March 24 with over four lakh voters being registered as eligible for exercising their franchise to elect 47 members to the National Assembly, the Lower House as Bhutan makes a historic switch-over from monarchy to democracy. The Bhutanese people had already cast their votes for National Council, the Upper House in December.