Suspected United Liberation Front of Asom militants exploded two powerful bombs in Guwahati on Sunday evening killing 10 persons.

About 20 persons were injured in the twin explosions triggered in two corners of Guwahati around the same time.

A powerful explosion occurred in the heart of north-east India's business hub at Fancy Bazar in Guwahati at around 6.25 pm that claimed the lives of at least eight persons, while 15 others were seriously injured in the impact of the blast.

The toll is likely to go up as the condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.

Aound the same time, militants lobbed a grenade in the evening market at the three-road junction at Patharquerry under Noonmati police station in the eastern part of Guwahati killing two persons and injuring several others.

Police suspected the hand of ULFA militants behind the blasts. Senior Assam police officials rushed to both blast spots to evacuate injured to the hospital, besides cordoning off the areas.

The casualties in the Fancy Bazar explosion would have been much higher if it was not a Sunday, a holiday in the business hub. The place remains fully crowded in the evening on any working day.

Police and paramilitary forces launched combing operations in different parts of Guwahati following the twin blasts.

The blasts occurred two days after three senior ULFA militants were killed by the police in Dibrugarh district following an encounter.