Indian police say they have arrested three people in connection with
Thursday's bombings that killed 77 people in the northeastern state of
Assam.
They say those arrested include a man whose cell phone
was allegedly used by a little-known group called "Islamic Security
Force - Indian Mujahedeen" to send a text message claiming
responsibility for the blasts.
Senior police official Bhaskar
Jyoti Mahanta says two other people were taken into custody because
their car and motorcycle were believed used in the bombings.
Also
Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh traveled to Guwahati,
the capital of Assam state, to visit some of the 300 people wounded in
the blasts. At least 12 bombs exploded within an hour of each other in
four towns.
Authorities have been trying to identify the
authenticity of the text message sent by "Islamic Security Force -
Indian Mujahedeen." The group came into existence in 2000 mainly to
thwart attacks by indigenous tribespeople on Muslim settlers in Assam
state.
The group's name is similar to one that claimed
responsibility for three deadly bombings earlier this year in Jaipur,
Gujarat and New Delhi.
Assam's main separatist group, the United
Liberation Front of Asom, or ULFA, denied any involvement in Thursday's
bombings. Police have said the size and complexity of the attack may
indicate the work of a fairly sophisticated group.
Separatist
violence in northeastern India has killed some 20,000 people since
1979. The region also has been plagued by ethnic conflict and attacks
that authorities blame on Muslim extremists based in Bangladesh.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
