Govt's usual suspect ULFA denies role in blasts

Guwahati: The United Liberation Front of Asom, the banned separatist group, denied that it was involved in the serial blasts in Assam on Thursday.

"The ULFA is in no way involved in the blasts in Guwahati, Bongaigaon, Barpeta and Kokrajhar and we condemn the incidents," said an e-mail statement signed by Aanjan Borthakur, who is a member of the group's central publicity unit.

The ULFA offered its condolences to the relatives of those killed in the blasts and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The Assam government has said it suspects ULFA for the serial bombings. "The needle of suspicion is on the ULFA as they had in the past carried out such serial explosions in the state," said Assam government spokesman and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

"We need to now ascertain if the ULFA was helped or aided by other forces or groups.

"Preliminary investigations show that the bombs were strapped on bicycles and the explosives were packed with highly inflammable substances that led to big fires soon after the blasts," the minister said.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said: "We have alerted the Army and asked them to be on standby."