2 IED-Like Objects Recovered In Guwahati After ULFA(I)'s Bomb Threat

The banned militant group United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) (Independent) claimed on Thursday to have planted bombs at 24 locations across Assam, prompting an extensive search operation by security forces.

In an email to media outlets, the anti-peace talk faction of ULFA stated that the bombs failed to detonate due to "technical failure" and requested public cooperation in defusing the explosives.

The outfit provided specific details for 19 of the locations but said that the whereabouts of five other explosives could not be confirmed.

In response, Assam Police launched a massive operation, deploying bomb disposal squads, metal detectors, and sniffer dogs to all the locations listed in the email.

"Bomb disposal squads, metal detectors, and sniffer dogs have been sent to every location. So far, no bombs have been found," said a senior officer at Assam Police headquarters.

Of the 24 locations mentioned by ULFA(I), eight are in Guwahati, including an open field at Last Gate in Dispur, near the official residences of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other ministers.

Other locations specified in the email include Satgaon Road near the Army cantonment in Narengi, Ashram Road, Panbazar, Jorabat, Bhetapara, Maligaon, and Rajgarh.

While no suspicious objects were found at six locations, police recovered two IED-like devices in Panbazaar and Gandhi Basti.

"We thoroughly searched eight locations. In six of them, we found nothing suspicious, but in Panbazaar and Gandhi Basti, we discovered two IED-like objects," Guwahati Commissioner of Police Diganta Barah told reporters.

Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Tamulpur, Tinsukia, and Golaghat districts were also named by ULFA(I) in its list of 24 locations. Police have closed roads around the identified areas, and senior officials are closely monitoring the ongoing search operations.