The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over a suo-moto investigation on the grenade blast that took place in Guwahati on Wednesday.
Also read: Blast rocks Guwahati, 8 injured
A high-level team from the NIA visited the grenade blast site near Guwahati Central mall on the busy R G Baruah Road in Guwahati on Thursday morning.
The explosion has left 12 persons injured.
The ULFA-I has claimed responsibility for the blast.
The incident took place just in front of the shopping mall, Guwahat Central.
The attack took place at around 8 pm when two motor-cycle-borne militants hurled the grenade injuring 12 people, among whom three were critically injured.
Most of the injured have been admitted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
Four security personnel including two CRPF and SSB jawans are among the injured.
The SSB jawans have been identified as Amulya Lalon and Ramesh Lal.
The two injured civilians – father-daughter duo – have been identified as Amit Kr Khersa (42) and Riya Khera (15).
They have been admitted to a private hospital in the city.
The other injured have been identified as Fardeen Hasan Rahman (21), Sultan Jahidur Rahman (52), Vijay Kr Shah (22) and Kalyan Baishya.
Father-Daughter duo was shifted to Nemcare Hospital by the family while four are in GMCH and five are KGMT Hospital. One of the injured in KGMT is in ICU as splinter hit him in the back.
A massive search operation has been initiated across the city to look for the suspects even as a red alert has already been sounded in the region following the grenade blast near the state zoo on Wednesday evening.
Immediately after the incident, state chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the incident of explosion carried out in front of the shopping mall Guwahati Central at Zoo Road in the city.
He also directed the Director General of Police to launch an investigation into the incident and take swift action against the perpetrators. The chief minister, through a press release, said nobody would be allowed to commit such heinous crimes and strong action would be against those behind this dastardly act.