TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND NEARLY 30 WOUNDED IN INDIA'S ASSAM STATE WHEN SUSPECTED REBELS THREW GRENADES IN A MARKET AND BLEW UP GAS PIPELINES, THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF ATTACKS AHEAD OF PEACE TALKS, OFFICIALS SAID ON SUNDAY, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. IN GUWAHATI, THE NORTHEASTERN STATE'S BIGGEST CITY, MILITANTS ON A ROAD FLYOVER HURLED GRENADES AT A CROWDED SHOPPING AREA, INJURING 20 PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO WOMEN. ONE OF THE INJURED DIED IN HOSPITAL EARLY ON SUNDAY. POLICE BLAMED THE OUTLAWED UNITED LIBERATION FRONT OF ASOM (ULFA), A REBEL ARMY THAT HAS BEEN BATTLING A WAR OF SECESSION IN THE TEA AND OIL-RICH STATE FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, BUT THE GROUP DENIED ITS INVOLVEMENT. "SOME VESTED INTEREST GROUPS HAVE A HAND IN THESE INCIDENTS JUST TO SABOTAGE THE PEACE PROCESS AND DEFAME US," PARESH BARUA, MILITARY CHIEF OF ULFA, TOLD REUTERS BY PHONE ON SUNDAY. GRENADES WERE THROWN AT SECURITY FORCES GUARDING OIL INSTALLATIONS AND RAILWAY TRACKS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE, KILLING A CIVILIAN AND INJURING SEVEN POLICEMEN. THE STATE HAS SUFFERED A STRING OF ATTACKS SINCE THURSDAY WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD HOLD A THIRD ROUND OF TALKS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ULFA ON JUNE 22.
