Security alert in Assam to foil militant attacks
March 15th, 2011 - 2:12 pm ICT by IANSGuwahati, March 15 (IANS) A security alert was sounded in election-bound Assam Tuesday, a day after militants bombed the ruling Congress party’s headquarters injuring five party workers and killed eight Border Security Force (BSF) troopers in separate attacks.
“A state of high alert was sounded across Assam with police, army and paramilitary troopers deployed in strength to foil any further militant attacks. We would be dealing with the militants with a very firm hand,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
Army and paramilitary columns have started a massive anti-insurgency operation in militant strongholds amid intelligence reports of more rebel strikes in the run up to the April 4 and 11 assembly elections.
“The militants might try to strike, especially by targeting politicians, to make their presence felt,” an Assam police official said requesting not to be named.
On Monday night, militants of the anti-talk faction of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) led by the elusive Paresh Baruah allegedly triggered a powerful remote-controlled explosion at the Congress office in the heart of Assam’s main city Guwahati.
Five Congress office bearers were injured in the blast and the wall and roof caved in.
In yet another attack late Monday, tribal separatists of the anti-talk faction of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) ambushed a bus carrying 20 BSF troopers near Ultapani in Kokrajhar district, about 220 km west of Guwahati.
Eight troopers were killed and five injured.
The anti-talk faction of the ULFA had in an email statement last month threatened to attack Congress leaders and warned people against participating in party rallies in the run up to the assembly elections.
The ULFA in the past has killed at least a dozen Congress leaders during elections beginning the 1996 assembly polls.
The ULFA statement last month said the Congress party was responsible for dividing the outfit - luring some leaders into holding peace talks with the government.
A faction of the NDFB too is in peace mode by entering into a ceasefire with New Delhi.
Both the ULFA and the NDFB are fighting for independent homelands outside the Indian union.
More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam during the past two decades.
- Assam on alert after militant strikes (Lead) - Mar 15, 2011
- Four injured in blast at Congress office; four BSF men killed (Roundup) - Mar 15, 2011
- Five injured in blast at Congress office; 8 BSF men killed (Intro Roundup) - Mar 15, 2011
- Three ULFA rebels, cop killed in Assam gunfight - Mar 15, 2011
- ULFA, NDFB trying to create instability ahead of Assam polls - Mar 21, 2011
- Eight BSF personnel killed in Assam ambush - Mar 15, 2011
- ULFA attack on Congress office injures three (Second Lead) - Mar 14, 2011
- Peace process on track despite Assam attacks - Mar 15, 2011
- Tribal student leader killed in Assam - Feb 22, 2011
- Centre alerts Assam ahead of ULFA raising day (Lead) - Apr 04, 2012
- Stage set for Assam first phase elections (Poll Curtain Raiser) - Apr 03, 2011
- NDFB offers unilateral ceasefire for peace talks - Jan 05, 2011
- Will not be cowed down by ULFA threats: Gogoi - Feb 20, 2011
- Grenade blast on Assam-Arunachal border - Apr 12, 2012
- Chidambaram for stepped up offensive against Bodo militants (Lead) - Nov 12, 2010
Tags: assam police, assembly elections, assembly polls, border security force, chief minister, congress leaders, congress office, congress party, gogoi, intelligence reports, militant attacks, militant strongholds, national democratic front, paresh, police official, security alert, separatists, tarun, ulfa, united liberation front