Two killed in Assam blast

A grenade attack by suspected Ulfa (Independent) militants killed a shopkeeper and a customer in Demow town in eastern Assam's Sivasagar district on Thursday evening.

Two others sustained serious injuries in the attack, police said.

According to police, the customer died on the spot while the shopkeeper, a Hindi speaking person, died on his way to the hospital. Police suspected that Ulfa militants had sneaked into the jungle of neighbouring Nagaland after carrying out the attack.

This comes a day after suspected Ulfa (I) militants abducted manager of a tea garden in neighbouring Charaideo district. The incident raised questions on security arrangements, which was stepped up following killings of five Hindu Bengali residents in Tinsukia district in eastern Assam on November 1.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is in New Delhi, condemned the attack and instructed police to take all measures against militants.

The Ulfa group, having its hideouts along Myanmar-China borders have resumed violent activities in Assam as part of their protest against NDA's Citizenship(Amendments) Bill 2016. The bill seeks to offer citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who were victims of 'religious persecution.'