Police arrested three suspected separatist rebels today and released a sketch of a suspect in connection with bombings in India's northeastern state of Assam that killed 84 people and wounded about 300.
Police say those arrested were members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), blamed for colluding with Islamist militants in last week's attack, the worst in a region where dozens of insurgencies have raged for decades.
"The sketch of a suspect involved in planting a car bomb was based on inputs from an eyewitness," said Jayashree Khersa, a senior police officer in Guwahati, Assam's main city where 44 people were killed in three bomb blasts.
The rest of the victims were killed in three other towns in the tea-and oil-producing state.
Assam officials said police were working on several other leads and were hopeful of a breakthrough soon. Police are also questioning 12 people, mostly Bangladeshi Muslims.
A little-known Islamist militant group, the Islamic Security Force-Indian Mujahideen, sent a mobile telephone text message to a local television station claiming responsibility for the coordinated blasts.
Police suspect the bombings were carried out to avenge attacks on Muslim settlers, mostly from neighbouring Bangladesh, by indigenous tribes that killed at least 47 people in September and October.
The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, India's main opposition, has also criticised the government for not doing enough to stop Bangladeshi nationals from crossing over to India.
India's home ministry says up to 20 million Bangladeshis live in India illegally, and police suspect some illegal migrants could have been involved in the attack.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam state's official spokesman, said ULFA and Islamist militants help each other with training and logistics from inside Bangladesh. Dhaka denies the charge.
Reuters