Explosions in India's Northeastern states on Indian Republic Day

Separatist groups in India's northeast have set off a series of explosions to disrupt Indian Republic Day celebrations on Thursday.

But there were no report of casualties.

Police in the northeastern state of Assam said there were reports of at least seven explosions in as many places in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Charaideo.

Four of the explosions were in Charaideo.

"The bombs were planted in isolated places to avoid casualties but make an impact so that Republic Day celebrations are disrupted," said Assam police chief Mukesh Sahay.

He said they were sure the explosions were triggered by the Paresh Barua faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

That faction had claimed responsibility for two recent ambushes in Tinsukia districts, in which five Indian soldiers were killed.

But the ULFA had said that rebels from Manipur joined their fighters in staging the ambush.

Assam police said two Manipuri rebels were killed in the ambush at Jagun earlier this week.

Two explosions on Thursday were reported from Manipur -- one from Mantripukhri in capital Imphal near the area which houses official residences of ministers and top officials and another near Manipur college in the same city.

Another explosion was reported from Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh near the state's border with Assam.

Nine separatist rebel groups in India's northeastern states have called for a boycott of Republic Day celebrations in the northeastern region.

They do that every year in a show of defiance to Delhi.

But unlike explosions before that was aimed to kill people and create panic, the rebels now seem to have avoided any casualty.