Guwahati: Security measures have been tightened for the Independence Day celebrations tomorrow in view of the series of grenade blasts by ULFA in Assam this month.
With the Centre sounding a security alert in the state after six militant outfits including ULFA (Independent) announced a boycott of I-Day celebrations, security forces are on high alert to thwart any subversive activity, official sources said on Wednesday.
Additional forces are guarding vital installations like oil fields, refineries, airports, railway stations and tracks, television and radio stations and bridges while intensive patrolling has been continuing on the highways and roads across the state, the sources said.
The border with neighbouring Bangladesh has been sealed with the BSF on alert to prevent entry of extremists, while night curfew imposed along the inter-state boundary with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Bomb and dog squads have also been pressed into service to detect explosives that may be kept hidden by ultras in public places.
The anti-insurgency Unified Command Structure also held a meet here on Monday to review the prevailing law and order situation in the state in the wake of the grenade blasts and the violence erupting following the demand for separate states by different ethnic communities in the state last week.
Earlier six militant outfits of the North East have decided to boycott the Independence Day and called for a general strike on Thursday in the entire region from 1:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
Besides the ULFA(I), the other militant outfits are Coordination Committee (CorCom) Manipur’s six parties, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).
During the boycott and strike essential services, emergency measures, media and religious activities are exempted.
Grenade blasts in Assam’s Chirang district
On the eve of Independence Day, two grenades were exploded by suspected anti-talk NDFB(Songbijit) faction in lower Assam’s Chirang district on Thursday, police said.
No one was injured in the blast, they said.
Two motorcycle-borne militants of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (Songbijit) hurled a grenade in Chapaguri Chowk around 8.40 AM.
As both police and public chased the ultras, they fled leaving their bike.
In the second incident, the insurgents threw a grenade at a road at Dumgaon under Runikhata police station around 12 noon.
The blast created a crater on the road, police said. Investigations are on and security measures stepped. (PTI)