Bicycle Bomb Alert in Assam

August 13: Security agencies in Assam have been put on maximum alert following
inputs suggesting that militants, particularly those belonging to the
UILFA-I, may use petty criminals or linkmen to explode bombs concealed
in bicycles ahead of Independence Day.

“Intelligence inputs
indicate that militant outfits, particularly the anti-talk faction of
ULFA, is likely to plant IEDs in bicycles for causing explosion,” a WT
message circulated by the Assam Police headquarters to all police
stations said. “They are likely to outsource (the work to) petty
criminals,” it added. “There have been instances of using cycles and
vehicles to plant IEDs in busy areas in the past too,” Director General
of Police Khagen Sarma said.

He said that besides the anti-talk
faction of Ulfa and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB),
there were reports of Islamists also trying to carry out disruptive
activities ahead of August 15. “We have observed movements of
Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jamaat-ul Mujahiddin ultras besides Ulfa and NDFB.
Though the Islamic groups have not indulged in any sabotage in the State
so far, there are some boys from the State who had received training
under them,” Sarma said.

ADGP (special branch) Pallab
Bhattacharyya said the threat has been there since quite some time.
“There was an input from central agencies that some ISI-backed groups
organized a meeting in Bangladesh recently following which cadres were
pushed inside India. This coupled with sightings of a man – who had
reportedly joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba – in Assam after a gap of about
ten/ fifteen years have raised apprehensions of a possible attack,” the
police official said, asking people to be alert.

Assam CM Tarun
Gogoi, who chaired a security review meeting today, said the police
machinery has been asked to be alert even after Independence Day. “Due
to the beefed-up security, the militants may opt to strike a day or two
after Independence Day,” he said.

Guwahati DCP (traffic)
Pranabjyoti Goswami said all the vehicles entering Guwahati are being
frisked. “A 24*7 vigil is being maintained at the entry points of the
city,” he said. A man hunt has been also launched in hotels, guest
houses and other possible places of hide-outs. Like every year, militant
groups in Assam have called for a boycott of the Independence Day
celebrations and a general strike that day.