Guwahati, Nov 23 (IANS) A major tragedy was averted in Assam Monday with security forces detecting a powerful landmine planted on a road used by army convoys to reach the Chinese border along the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, officials said.
An army spokesperson said soldiers on a routine patrol Monday morning detected the landmine planted near the Ninth Mile area in Sonitpur district, about 230 km north of Assam’s main city of Guwahati.

“Movement of vehicles was stopped immediately and a bomb disposal squad detonated the explosive. It would have been a disaster had the bomb gone off as the area was a crowded one,” the army commander said.

The official said the target was definitely army convoys that pass through the road to the Chinese border in Arunachal Pradesh.

“The landmine was aimed at blowing up army vehicles and also to inflict civilian casualties,” the official said.

Police blamed the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for planting the landmine.

“The ULFA is trying to stage attacks across the state and hence desperately trying to target security forces and civilians,” a senior police official said.

On Sunday, two powerful blasts rocked the western town of Nalbari killing eight people and wounding 54 more.

The ULFA was blamed for the two explosions.