ULFA(I) claims responsibility for Sibsagar grenade attack

The banned ULFA (Independent) on Saturday claimed responsibility for the grenade attack in Sibsagar district on Thursday that killed two people.

A grenade had exploded at a hardware shop in the Demow Chariali area of the district, killing a customer, Anup Gupta, and the shopowner, Kamal Agarwal, on Thursday.

"We take responsibility for Thursday's explosion and sooner or later stern action will be taken against those who betray us. But our target was not the customer Anup Gupta but the owner of the shop," ULFA(I) Assistant Secretary Publicity and Information Arunodoy Asom said in an e-mailed statement.

The outfit expressed condolences to Gupta's family saying "our hearts go out to them".

The organisation, however, denied any role in the killings of five persons at Dhola in Tinsukia district on November 1, as claimed by the Assam police and National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Unidentified gunmen in battle fatigue had shot dead five Bengali speaking individuals, including three members of a family, on November 1.

"We had clarified earlier that the ULFA (I) is not responsible for the Tinsukia incident and we challenge the NIA to tell the people of Assam on what basis they are accusing us of the killings," Asom said in the statement.

Director General of Police, Kuladhar Saikia, had said on Thursday that the ULFA (I) was behind the Tinsukia killings.

According to the preliminary investigations conducted by police and NIA, there was sufficient "technical evidence" about a six-member team of the ULFA-I being behind the Tinsukia firing incident, the DGP had said.

Regarding ULFA (I) denial about its involvement in the Tinsukia killings, the DGP had said the police was not paying any importance to the clarification issued by the outfit.