[ADN Kronos] At least seven people died and over sixty were injured in blasts on Monday in India's northeast state of Assam. A powerful bomb at a busy restaurant in Guwahati killed four people and wounded at least 56, police said. Blood and body were parts strewn over the entrance to the restaurant and many vehicles were destroyed by the explosion, bystanders said. Many bystanders helped the injured although angry mobs also pelted police and public transport with stones after the explosion.
A few hours later, a second bomb tied to a bicycle went off in a market in the town of Dhekiajuli, 100 miles north of Guwahati, injuring at least six people, three of them critically, local officials said.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for either attack. But police blamed the separatist United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) for the attacks. Intelligence officials say the group is flexing its muscles ahead of India's general election taking place in several phases from 13 April until 16 May.
The ULFA has links to Islamic militants in neighbouring Bangladesh.
Prime minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit Assam on Tuesday to campaign for his Congress party.
Last week more than 10 people were injured when a bomb exploded close to where India's external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee was due to address a rally.
ULFA was suspected of carrying out massive serial explosions in October last year, in which 87 people died.