Attempt to blow up truck in Bengal s Kalimpong

Darjeeling Aug 26 (IANS) Unidentified miscreants attempted to blow up a truck in the early hours of Saturday at Kalimpong in the agitation-hit northern West Bengal hills officials said.

The Sikkim-bound truck laden with mobile phone tower equipment was passing through Kalimpong s 27 mile long NH 31A when the attempt was made to blow it up with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

The truck was not damaged but there was a loud bang next to it.

Splinters were recovered from the blast site police said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the state government will hold talks with "all major political parties" on August 29 in a bid to restore peace and normalcy in the Darjeeling hills that have been on the boil for over two months with an indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) to press for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

--IANS
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