Explosives haul in Asom ahead of I-day celebrations

Guwahati, July 30 (UNI) Police recovered a huge cache of explosives last night reportedly meant to be used by ULFA during the Independence Day celebrations.

Altogether 1,475 detonators and 67 bundles of fuse wires were seized from a jungle at Sipajhar in Central Asom's Darrang district by a joint team of police and CRPF.

The recovery was based on a tip-off from an ULFA associate -- Munindra Saikia arrested by the CRPF on July 28.

As many as 300 detonators and 20 bundles of fuse wires were also seized from Saikia.

Darrang SP R A Hazarika said the explosives might have been used by the ULFA during the Independence Day celebrations.

Four persons have been picked up by the police in this connection.

In another recovery, Dibrugarh police recovered 25 kg TNT in two separate places in the Upper Asom town last night.

The first recovery of ten kg TNT was made from the house of one Thulo Gogoi at Tingkhong, while another 15 kg was found from the house of Bhupen Rajkhowa of the same area.

While Gogoi was arrested by police, Rajkhowa was said to be absconding.

A class nine girl was also arrested from the area on charges of having links with the banned outfit.

Three others were picked up for interrogation.

ULFA is known to strike on the Independence Day. The worst incident was when it exploded a bomb in a parade ground of a school in Dhemaji, killing 13 people, mostly students and pregnant women.

Meanwhile, massive security arrangements had been made across the state to prevent the militants from carrying out any subversive activities.

Security personnel in civvies had been deployed throughout the state and frisking and patrolling intensified.

Two militants arrested with explosives by police in upper Asom had admitted that they were instructed by the ULFA to carry out explosions on I-Day.

UNI