Blast in Assam, one injured

Suspected Bodo militants Thursday tried to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations in Assam by triggering a blast in which one person was injured, police said.

Police said the grenade explosion took place in Tengapara of Kokrajhar town around 9.45 a.m.. Police later recovered another grenade from the same location.

A grenade was also recovered at Bijni in Chirang district.

"There was a grenade blast in Kokrajhar town and one person received minor injuries," said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) A.P. Raut.

In Chirang, four motorcycle-riding youths lobbed a grenade, but it did not explode. Local people nabbed the youths and beat them up severely, before handing them over to police, Raut said.

"We suspect the hands of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) behind the incidents. The militants were using linkmen to trigger the blasts and lob the grenades in public places to make their presence felt," Raut said.

Cadres or linkmen of same outfit had triggered two grenade blasts at Chapaguri in Chirang Wednesday, police said.

Police had also recovered two improvised explosive devices from Udalguri district Wednesday.