Monday, October 2 2006 14:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: A boy was killed and 20 persons, including four policemen, were injured in a grenade blast by the banned ULFA at a Durga puja pandal in Upper Assam's Dhemaji district in the wee hours today.

"The blast occured past last midnight as the state geared up to join the rest of the country to pay homage to the apostle of non-violence," Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary.

Dhemaji police said the banned militants hurled a hand grenade at a mobile police patrol party just as it stopped near the puja pandal at Nalanipalam area of the town around 12.15 am.

Though the grenade failed to directly hit them, the explosive fell on a pile of bricks causing it to burst.

The splinters killed a 7-year old boy, Debabrata Dhingia and injured 20 persons in the large crowd of pandal hoppers.

The grenade splinters also caused the tyres of the police vehicle to burst, police said.

City Superintedent of Police rushed to the spot, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to nab the culprits who fled soon after the blast.

The ULFA had two years ago exploded a bomb at the official Independance Day celebrations in Dhemaji killing over 15 school going children and women.

The Centre had resumed army operations which were suspended after revoking the ceasefire on September 24.