In another attack apparently targeting migrants, the banned ULFA today carried out a bomb blast in this upper Assam town that killed two persons and injured 10 others.The police said suspected ULFA militants planted a time bomb under the seat of a motorcycle and triggered it at 6.15 pm near Tirupati Hotel at the busy Chamber Road in the main commercial centre here.The explosion was initially suspected to have been caused by a grenade, but an investigation revealed that the explosive device was hidden in an abandoned motorcycle found at the site of the blast, the police said.Chaos prevailed in the area as panic-stricken people fled, creating traffic jams, and shop-keepers immediately downed shutters. The area was cordoned off by police.Three persons were nabbed at the railway station here in connection with the attack, the police said.Three seriously injured persons were sent to the Assam Medical College Hospital in neighbouring Dibrugarh district, and the rest were admitted to the Civil Hospital here.One of the dead was identified as Roshan Tiwari, while some of the wounded were identified as Maan Singh, Ganga Sah, Sanjay Dhadiya, Jadu Nath Rai, Bhim Singh, Bablu Das, Pranab Sah and Dasrath Sah. Tinsukia was one of the areas where the ULFA recently targeted Hindi-speaking migrants in a series of attacks that left 70 people dead. Meanwhile, the Centre today decided to send more paramilitary forces to Assam to maintain law and order. While 30 companies of central paramilitary forces had been sent after the ULFA targeted migrants in upper Assam, the Union Home Ministry is now sending additional 20 companies. The move comes in a run- up to the National Games to be held next month. ULFA, however, has called for a boycott of the Games, asking players to stay away. The state is keen to use the event to showcase the state to the rest of the country and has requested the Centre for help to conduct it smoothly.After the killings, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited Assam on his way back from the ASEAN summit to review the situation on January 16.Congress leader shot dead TINSUKIA : A Congress leader was shot dead by suspected ULFA militants in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Saturday, officials said. A group of four militants took Bobodar Moran, the Congress gram panchayat secretary of Betini, to a place between Digboi and Pangeri at 9 pm and shot him dead. — PTI
