Powerful bomb found in Assam train

A powerful bomb was found in the compartment of a local train at a railway station near Guwahati Monday, a day after a blast killed two people and injured over 25 others in Dibrugarh, police said.

The bomb was found at Kendukona railway station aboard the intercity express running between Alipurduar in northern West Bengal and Kamakhya junction in Guwahati.

Government Railway Police (GRP) officials said the train was halted at Kendukona after security personnel spotted in a coach an unclaimed plastic bag covered with a towel and wires sticking out from it.

A statement from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) confirmed the bomb to be an improvised explosive device (IED) and that it weighed about six kg.

The station master was immediately informed and the train was halted there.

A team of bomb experts defused the explosive, and a thorough search was carried out in the train, police said.

The toll in Sunday's blast in Dibrugarh district rose to two after one of the injured, a young student, died at the Assam Medical College and Hospital.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Monday confirmed the hands of the ULFA faction opposed to peace talks to be behind the blast in Rajgarh area in the tea-rich district.

"They (the anti-talk faction of the ULFA) have killed two innocent people. We must defeat such anti-nationalist forces," he said.

The blast and Monday's bomb recovery took place ahead of the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Assam Nov 29-30 for the two-day All-India conference of directors general of police.

Gogoi, meanwhile, claimed that his government has been able to contain all forms of terrorism.

"Our government has been able to contain all forms of terrorism following a slew of security measures. We will also deal very firmly with jihadi groups and foil their sinister designs to set up base in Assam," he tweeted.