Militants explode bomb on rail track in Assam

No one reported the blast as they mistook it for football fans bursting firecrackers to celebrate their team's win

Militants exploded a bomb on the Rangya-Rangapara rail track near Merabil Garia village in Assam's Udalguri district and planted another on the same railway track at Rowta, a police official said today.

The blast occurred on the railway track last night about eight km south of Mazbat damaging a reinforced concrete cement (RCC) line sleeper, IGP L R Bishnoi said.

The explosion with a loud sound had occurred at around 9 p.m. but no one reported it to police as people mistook it for football fans bursting firecrackers to celebrate the Northeast United's win in the ISL football game, the police official said.
 

At the blast site, the letter pad of militant outfit United Gorkha Peoples Organisation (UGPO) was found and investigations are on, Bishnoi said.

There is no information about the involvement of the NDFB(S) underground group in the blast, he added.

Another bomb was recovered on the same railway track this morning at Rowta in the district during investigations by police, Bishnoi said.

A bomb defusing squad along with CRPF Cobra team were searching the area for more bombs and railway technical staff were monitoring the track, he said.

Bishnoi said that more than 16 members, including the 'commander' of the UGPO have been arrested during the last 10 years.