At least two people were killed and more than 100 injured in serial blasts that hit Agartala, the capital of Tripura, between 7.00 and 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday. These were the first such terror attacks in a state that has seen violent militant movements from the 1970s.
Police said they suspected Muslim militant groups, based in neighbouring Bangladesh, were behind the blasts. See blasts this year
“The first bomb went off in the popular Maharajganj Bazaar at about 7 p.m., followed by three near-simultaneous blasts, one in the G.B. Market, one at the Radhanagar public bus stand and the last in Krishnanagar locality,” Tripura police spokesman Nepal Das told IANS. One man died in the Maharajganj blast and one in GB Market. The deceased could not be immediately identified.
At least one of the blasts had echoes of Mehrauli. Nabanita Roy, an eyewitness, said: “Two young men on a motorbike left a container at the Radhanagar bus stand. Smoke started coming out of it and soon there was a huge explosion.”
The town was crowded as people were busy shopping ahead of the Durga puja, the biggest festival of the state. The incident also cast a shadow on Eid.
The explosions sent the town into chaos. People ran home for safety, and streets and markets wore a deserted look.
The town was crowded as people were busy shopping ahead of the Durga puja, the biggest festival of the state. The incident also cast a shadow on Eid.
The explosions sent the town into chaos. People ran home for safety, and streets and markets wore a deserted look. Paramilitary troops and armed police have been deployed in strength. Several roads have been blocked and a search launched to track down the suspects in the town that borders Bangladesh.
After the Delhi blasts, the Ministry of Home Affairs had reportedly issued an alert warning of attacks in Northeast India, especially Tripura.
Intelligence agencies have long been alerting the state over cross-border movement of HuJI and Al Qaida militants from Bangladesh, besides the routine infiltration of militants from northeastern outfits.
With inputs from Reuters.