A woman breaks down on the CJM court premises in Guwahati after the blast. Pictures by Eastern Projections

Oct. 30: The needle of suspicion in the Assam blasts is swinging between the Ulfa, which has denied a role, and the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul Jehadi Islami (Huji).

The involvement of Huji is being suspected because of recent reports of infiltration by militants and communal violence in two districts of Assam.

Besides, some fundamentalist outfits within the state, such as the Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam, are reported to have closed ranks with Huji.

Initial suspicion fell on Huji as the explosions occurred within a month of the communal clashes between Bodos and alleged Bangladeshi migrants in Darrang and Udalguri districts in which 52 people were killed and 2 lakh people displaced.

Intelligence sources said more retaliatory attacks could not be ruled out, claiming they were aware of specific inputs on the possibility of attacks in Meghalaya. They claimed that Huji was known to be training Meghalaya tribal outfits in Bangladesh.

The sources added that the BSF had informed Assam police about the presence in Karimganj district of a team of 10 members from different outfits based in Bangladesh. The same group is believed to have been involved in today’s explosions, they said.

Asked why pre-emptive action could not be taken if so much intelligence was available, the sources blamed lack of co-ordination between central and state agencies but declined to reveal details.

Other sources seemed to interpret the blasts as an attempt by Ulfa to reaffirm its ability to strike at will at a time some of its key wings are facing pressure from security forces to come overground.

The sources spoke of intelligence reports that the 709 battalion of Ulfa, active in western Assam where the attacks took place today, might attempt a big strike in the wake of moves by the government to bring some of its members overground.

Assam government spokesperson Himanta Biswa Sarma acknowledged that there were such reports.

Some sources did not rule out the possibility of the Ulfa carrying out the strikes in retaliation to the ceasefire declared by two companies of its 28 battalion.

However, Ulfa denied its hand in the blast and blamed “Indian occupation forces”, saying they wanted to derail any effort at an amicable solution to the long-drawn insurgency problem in the state.

Sarma clubbed the outfit with those calling themselves jihadis. “They are all united and are working at the behest of the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan,” he said.