Guwahati, August 15, 2024: In a tense development on Independence Day, Assam Police have recovered suspicious items from two locations in Sivasagar district, following a claim by the banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) that they had planted bombs across the state.
The police detected the suspicious items near the Sivasagar District Transport Office (DTO) in Ranghar Chari Ali and in front of the ONGC facility in Nazira. One item was discovered in a flat car adjacent to the DTO, while another was found in a flat ambulance near the ONGC premises.
ULFA-I, in a press release, claimed responsibility for planting bombs in multiple locations throughout Assam, including Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Guwahati, and other regions. The group stated that their intention was to carry out bomb explosions between 6 am and 12 noon as a show of force but had to abort the operation due to technical issues.
The insurgent group provided a detailed list of 19 locations where they allegedly placed explosives:
- DTO Office
- ONGC Number 5 Gate
- Dibrugarh Lakuwa Tinali
- ASTC
- Lakhimpur ASTC
- SP Office
- Laluk Daily Market
- Barghat Police Outpost
- Nangav Medical College
- Guwahati Dispur Last Gate
- Gandhi Mandap
- Narengi Army Camp
- Pan Bazaar
- Jorabat Overbridge
- Bhetapara
- Maligaon
- Rajgarh
- Nalbari
- Rangia
ULFA-I also mentioned potential bomb placements in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, and Sorupathar districts, although the exact locations could not be verified.
Assam Police are actively investigating the nature of the recovered items and their possible connection to ULFA-I’s claims. The insurgent outfit has requested that authorities recover and deactivate the alleged explosives to avoid civilian casualties.
This alarming threat has heightened security across Assam as law enforcement agencies work diligently to ensure public safety.