ULFA (I) claims responsibility for four blasts in Assam on Republic Day
GUWAHATI: Four low-intensity blasts rocked upper Assam while the entire nation was observing the 71st Republic Day on Sunday.
Security sources said they suspect it was the handiwork of the outlawed Ulfa-I. Most of the blasts took place in isolated and unguarded areas, so there was no damage to property or human lives.
Additional director-general of police (law and order) G P Singh said, “We had reports of five incidents. But at one of those spots, there was no sign of any blast. So, we have been able to confirm four blasts: two in Dibrugarh and one each on Duliajan and Sonari.”
Stating that they could not confirm a blast reported from Doomdooma, he said, “All these are low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED) blasts. There was no damage to property and no human injury or casualties. The first blast was reported at 8:10 am and the last one 8:25 am.”
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal told repoprters, “We strongly condemn the bomb blasts in a few places. This cowardly attempt to create terror on a sacred day only exhibits the frustration of the terror groups after their total rejection by the people. Our government will take the sternest action to bring the culprits to book.”
The outlawed Ulfa-I had issued a call for a ‘general strike’ on Sunday, asking citizens to abstain from the Republic Day celebrations and remain indoors.
The blasts took place days after 644 militants from eight rebel outfits laid down arms in front of Sonowal at a ceremony in Guwahati. It included 50 Ulfa-I cadres. However, the four bomb blasts failed to dampen the mood of the people who came out in large number on the streets of Guwahati to celebrate Republic Day.
Several motorbike and vintage car rallies gave a festive look to the capital city where Assam governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi unfurled the national flag at the Khanapar playground. Defying the boycott call given by the outlawed Ulfa-I, a large number of people attended the main function of Republic Day.
