Guwahati, July 31 (IANS) An army man was killed and six others were injured when suspected militants triggered a powerful bomb blast in Goalpara district of Assam Tuesday, said police. The outlawed ULFA claimed responsibility for the incident.
A United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) statement emailed to media claimed that three personnel were killed and nine others injured in the bombing.
Police officials suspected it was an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by remote control.
The incident took place in Bamunghopa near the Panchratna area of Goalpara district.
Defence spokesman Lt. Col. S.S. Phogat confirmed the incident and said while one of the army personnel died on the spot, six others were seriously injured. All the injured were shifted to the army’s Base Hospital in Guwahati.
Phogat, however, refused to name the personnel who died.
He said the incident took place when the army convoy was moving from Kokrajhar to Agia in Goalpara.
The attack took place at a time when union Home Minister P. Chidambaram visited some relief camps in Dhubri district close to Goalpara in the morning.
The ULFA claimed that the blast was triggered as part of its protest against the “Indian colonial forces”.
