Bicycle bomb recovered

Guwahati, Apr 07 (UNI) The Army this morning averted a major disaster when it recovered a bicycle bomb and arrested three ULFA cadres on the proscribed militant organisation's raising day at Namrup.

Official sources said the 44th field regiment of the Army nabbed three ULFA cadres - Putul Gogoi, Nabajyoti Gogoi and Jatin Gogoi - from Borhat area of Tinsukia district.

Based on their confession, the Army recovered a bicycle bomb from the Namrup railway station. The bomb was kept near the railway track targetting the coming Kamrup Express.

The ULFA has of late been using a new weapon - bicycle bomb - in which the frames of the bicycles are laden with explosives and they are detonated through remote control with the detonator being placed at the space below the seat.

The Army recovered the bicycle at 0445 hours, just minutes before the Kamrup Express arrived at the station. The bomb was later defused at a safe location at 0645 hours.

Meanwhile, rumours and confusion about a bandh call by a little known organisation affected life in Assam. Although the bandh call was given by an insignificant organisation, the people mistook it to be an ULFA bandh call and life was disrupted throughout the Brahmaputra valley.

Moreover, the ULFA's raising day today caused apprehension among people about possible violence as the banned organisation has been traditionally known to strike on its raising day.

UNI MT DPM SS0935