Serial bombs kill at least 33 in India's Assam state

11 bomb blasts tore through the main city of India's northeastern Assam state and 3 other towns today, killing at least 33 people and wounding 200, police say. No one has claimed responsibility for the bomb blasts. Serial bombs kill at least 33 in India's Assam state Assam has been a focus of a separatist insurgency for decades, but it has also recently suffered bomb attacks blamed on Islamic militants from neighboring Bangladesh. Firefighters doused smoldering remains of cars and motorcycles at one of the blast sites in Guwahati. One of the blasts targeted a high security zone with a court as well as offices and homes of senior police officials. Many of the blasts were in crowded markets in the state. Television channels showed some people lying on the streets, their clothes soaked in blood. Some of the walking wounded were helped into ambulances by local people and police. "So far, we have received reports of 33 deaths and 200 people wounded in 11 blasts," a police officer in the main control room told Reuters. A wave of bomb attacks has hit India in recent months, killing more than 125 people. Police have blamed most of those attacks on Muslim militants, although some Hindu militants have also been suspected of carrying out several attacks. Last month, Assam state was also hit by clashes between indigenous tribes and Muslim settlers that left at least 47 people dead. Singh said two of the bombs in Guwahati were hidden in motorcycles or scooters. Packed bus burned "The impact of the blast was so huge, a packed bus got half burned and we pulled out lot of injured people and sent them to hospital," Pankaj Goswami, a witness at a blast in Guwahati, said. Local television said a curfew was imposed in Guwahati after crowds angry at the blasts attacked police and set cars on fire. Police fired in the air to disperse an angry mob. In October, at least two people were killed and 100 injured in four bomb blasts in Assam that police blamed on Muslim militant groups based in neighboring Bangladesh. But the separatist United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), fighting for an independent homeland for the state's more than 26 million people, is often suspected of being behind attacks. Ringed by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, India's northeast is home to more than 200 tribes and has been racked by separatist revolts since India gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Serial bombs kill at least 33 in India's Assam state

Assam has been a focus of a separatist insurgency for decades, but it has also recently suffered bomb attacks blamed on Islamic militants from neighboring Bangladesh.

Firefighters doused smoldering remains of cars and motorcycles at one of the blast sites in Guwahati. One of the blasts targeted a high security zone with a court as well as offices and homes of senior police officials.

Many of the blasts were in crowded markets in the state.

Television channels showed some people lying on the streets, their clothes soaked in blood. Some of the walking wounded were helped into ambulances by local people and police.

"So far, we have received reports of 33 deaths and 200 people wounded in 11 blasts," a police officer in the main control room told Reuters.

A wave of bomb attacks has hit India in recent months, killing more than 125 people. Police have blamed most of those attacks on Muslim militants, although some Hindu militants have also been suspected of carrying out several attacks.

Last month, Assam state was also hit by clashes between indigenous tribes and Muslim settlers that left at least 47 people dead.

Singh said two of the bombs in Guwahati were hidden in motorcycles or scooters.

Packed bus burned

"The impact of the blast was so huge, a packed bus got half burned and we pulled out lot of injured people and sent them to hospital," Pankaj Goswami, a witness at a blast in Guwahati, said.

Local television said a curfew was imposed in Guwahati after crowds angry at the blasts attacked police and set cars on fire. Police fired in the air to disperse an angry mob.

In October, at least two people were killed and 100 injured in four bomb blasts in Assam that police blamed on Muslim militant groups based in neighboring Bangladesh.

But the separatist United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), fighting for an independent homeland for the state's more than 26 million people, is often suspected of being behind attacks.

Ringed by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, India's northeast is home to more than 200 tribes and has been racked by separatist revolts since India gained independence from Britain in 1947.