A rebel group suspected of blowing up an oil pipeline on Wednesday in India's north-east said it would accept New Delhi's offer of fresh talks if the government sent a formal proposal.
National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan on Monday offered to renew talks with the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).
The rebels, who are suspected of carrying out four attacks on oil and gas pipelines this week including the one on Wednesday, said the government should make the proposal through their representatives.
"ULFA cares for a political resolution, and to keep the process rolling India must send a proposal through the People's Consultative Group," the ULFA said in a statement in its fortnightly newsletter, Freedom.
"The core issue of the talks should be restoration of sovereignty of Assam," it said.
There were no casualties in Wednesday's landmine explosion at the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), but oil supplies were disrupted.
"The impact was so severe it created a big crater and damaged four meters (13.2 feet) of pipeline," a senior police official told AFP.
"Normal operations are on but we have had to shut down the pipeline (for repairs)," an ONGC official said.
On Sunday, an oil pipeline of Indian Oil Corp refinery in eastern Assam was blown up, forcing a three-day shutdown of the pipeline.
Earlier this month, fifteen people were killed and 40 wounded in two blasts in Assam's main city of Guwahati. Police blamed the blasts on ULFA.
The federal government called off a six-week cease-fire in September and resumed military operations, blaming the ULFA for stepping up attacks and extortion's, leading to a break down of peace talks with rebel mediators.