From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: Two persons were injured on Wednesday in a bomb explosion at a market in Shallang in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district.
The explosion took place at around 6 pm when unidentified miscreants, suspected to be GNLA cadres, lobbed two grenades at a market place in Shallang, injuring two people, police said.
However, one of the grenades did not explode.
Wednesday being the market day at Shallang, the area was crowded when the incident took place.
The injured, yet to be identified, have been shifted to Riangdo CHC. The condition of the duo is stated to be stable
Though no militant group has claimed responsibility for the blast, intelligence agencies suspect the involvement of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
“It could be the handiwork of the GNLA militants to create fear psychosis and divert security agencies’ attention in the wake of the combing operation against them,” an intelligence official said.
Security forces launched a massive combing operation in Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills districts.
“The blast was triggered mainly to create fear psychosis in the minds of the people. We are still investigating into it,” a senior police official told a news agency.
Meanwhile, some unidentified miscreant burnt down a house of a Nepali resident at Patharshipiah under Mairang Sub-division on Wednesday.
Source said no one was in the house when the incident took place. Around 13 Nepali families are residing in Patharshipiah at present.