Truck Blast on National Highway 10 to Sikkim

Darjeeling: An Improvised Explosive Device was exploded below a truck on Friday night. Though the Hills have been witnessing blasts regularly since August 19, this is for the first time that armed men were seen taking part in the act.

The incident occurred at 27th Mile area on the National Highway 10 connecting the plains of Siliguri in West Bengal to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.

'The blast occurred at 11 pm when a truck traveling from Siliguri to Sikkim was stopped by armed men. They then asked the driver and his helper to leave and exploded an IED below the truck. We have started investigating. A CID team also visited the spot and collected samples including splinters. We have initiated a case also,' stated Ajit Kumar

Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Kalimpong.

It is learnt that a police patrol party from the Reyang police outpost chanced upon the damaged truck on the NH10 on Saturday morning. The truck bearing a West Bengal number plate, was



badly damaged and burnt.

Sensing something fishy the police launched a hunt for the driver. Later the driver and the helper arrived at the Riyang police outpost and narrated the incident. Mohan Chettri, the driver stated that he along with his helper were driving up to Sikkim carrying goods when

around 15 people came out of the jungle bordering the NH10 and stopped the vehicle.

They were armed with Khukuris and firearms also. They first fired at the two front tires of the truck. Then they asked the driver and Helper to walk away. When the driver and helper had walked for around 300m there was a very loud explosion. They then fled for their lives from the spot.

'An IED was placed on the road just below the driver's seat of the parked vehicle and blasted. It was a very powerful explosion. Parts of the truck has been blown away' stated a police source.

5 inch deep holes have come up on the road with some splinters found embedded in nearby trees also.