GUWAHATI: Assam on Friday, October 30, marked the 18th anniversary of the serial bomb blasts that killed at least 81 people and injured more than 470 across the state in 2008.
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The coordinated explosions rocked Guwahati and several parts of western Assam, including Barpeta Road, Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar, on October 30, 2008. The attacks targeted nine locations, with busy public areas witnessing some of the deadliest explosions.
In Guwahati, blasts ripped through Panbazar, Fancy Bazar and Ganeshguri, areas crowded with shoppers, office-goers and commuters. Three explosions were reported in Kokrajhar, one in Bongaigaon and two in Barpeta Road, among other locations.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma remembered the victims on the anniversary and described the incident as one of the darkest chapters in Assam's history.
In a post on X, Sarma wrote, "On this solemn day, I remember the victims of the October 30 Serial bomb blasts which rocked Guwahati.
"I can never forget that fateful day which shook the collective conscience of our nation and is one of the darkest chapters in Assam's history.
"We shall never return back to those days and ensure that Assam remains a peaceful and prosperous State in the years to come."
The blasts claimed 81 lives, including 41 in Guwahati, 21 in Kokrajhar and 15 in Barpeta Road. Four more victims succumbed to their injuries in the days following the attacks. More than 470 people were injured.
The Ganeshguri explosion reportedly occurred in a car parked around 100 metres from the then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's official residence. Investigations indicated that high-intensity explosives, including RDX or C4, may have been used, with the explosions taking place within minutes of each other.
The attacks were attributed to the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), with its leader Ranjan Daimary allegedly identified as the mastermind. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested 15 people in connection with the case.
Daimary was arrested in 2010. On January 29, 2018, a special court in Guwahati sentenced him and several other accused to life imprisonment in connection with the blasts.
