GUWAHATI, March 16— At least six persons were killed and several dozens more were injured, 12 of them seriously, this afternoon when the banned ULFA detonated a powerful remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) at Bamunghopa, under Goalpara police station in lower Assam. The ULFA, observing its ‘Sainik Divas’ today, drew the blood of innocent civilians while targeting a CRPF van coming from Bangaigaon towards Guwahati. The civilians were passengers of a private bus (AMP 893) on its way to Baguwan from Goalpara. The blast was triggered at about 4 pm on National Highway-37 when the CRPF van and the bus were crossing each other.
According to top police officials here, the IED had been planted on the highway by the ultras. It was the private bus, ‘Radha Damodar’, that took the maximum impact of the blast. The bus driver shah Alam (40) and two passengers were killed on the spot. Three other persons, two ladies and a CRPF man, succumbed to injuries in Goalpara hospital. Dozens of more people were injured in the blast. Of them, 12 have been rushed to the Guwahati-Medical College Hospital in serious condition. Senior civil and police officials rushed to the spot soon after getting the news of the incident. An operation has also been launched in the area to nab the militants. It may be mentioned here that the newly emboldened ULFA has launched a series of operations i the State in recent weeks, including the daring mortar attack on a patrol storage depot of the Digboi Refinery in upper Assam.
Our Goalpara Correspondent adds: At least 48 persons were injured in the blast that took place about 12 km from Goalpara town. The front portion of the bus was shattered in the explosion. The dead persons have been identified as the driver Shah Alam (40), CRPF constable Som Narain Bungle (44), Jainal Abedin (56), Harani Bewa (60), Mumtaz Begum (28) and Mahmuda Begum (27). Among the serious injured are Amina Khatun (25), Sharbanu Khatun (17), Amjera Khatun (22), Rukeya Khatun (23), Mausama Akhtara (23), Jamirun Nessa (23), Helima Khatun (24), Kirti Mohan Nath (35), Hayat Ali (25), and Mozmin Ali (7). They have been referred to the GMCH. There were at least 60 passengers in the bus.
Meanwhile, several leading citizens, who include artistes, litterateurs an intellectuals, today demanded of the Central Government steps to initiate dialogue with the ULFA. They also described the statement of the Union Home Minister issued in the wake of the ULFA attack on the Digboi Refinery, as an unfortunate one. Union Home Minister LK Avani had, in his statement, ruled out an possibility of dialogue with the ULFA.
The citizens including Dr DP Barooah, Dr Hiren Gohain, Sri Tafazzul Ali, Sri Hiren Bhattacharyya, Sri Nilamoni Pukan, Sri Mahendra Barthakur, Sri Keshab Mahanta, Dr Nirmalpraba Bardoloi, Sri Atlananda Goswami, Sri Tilak Hazarika, Dr Renu Devi, Sri Ajit Barua, Sri Nipan Goswami, Sri Indra Baniya, Sri Biju Phukan, Smt Malaya Goswami and Sri Mahananda Sarma, among others, have, in a joint appeal, also called upon the Government and the militant outfits to engage themselves in an honest effort to resole the basic issues, taking into consideration the greater interest of the State and future of the posterity.
They also condemned the acts of violence committed by both the Governments and the militants, including the incident of attack on the Digboi Refinery by the militants. The violence perpetrated by both the sides in the past two decades have made the State lose thousands of human lives and adversely affected the psyche of the children, the signatories to the appeal said. Violence always begets violence. It is high time this dominance of violence on the social life of the State was eliminated, they said.