Shops down shutters after bomb threat at W’nagar marketlCops on look out for ‘teen with device’
TURA: The last weekly market day in Williamnagar ahead of the upcoming Christmas celebrations failed to take off with shops downing shutters before mid-day following a bomb threat on Saturday.
The market had expected to hold the biggest shopping day of the year for the Christmas season with several thousand people from Williamnagar and other parts of the district thronging the place to purchase food and kitchen items, clothes and shoes.
The market day ended before it even got to half the business day after police teams fortified the area fanning out in search of a teenager carrying a dark bag believed to hold an improvised explosive device.
“We had intelligence inputs about the banned GNLA planning to conduct serial blasts at three places in Williamnagar and were on high alert when people reported about the presence of a young teenager carrying a suspicious looking bag and attempting to leave it behind in a shop,” said district police chief Davis Nestell R Marak.
“We believe the bag contained the improvised explosive device. The GNLA had planned to explode bombs at three places-Williamnagar market, behind the back portion of my residence and at one government office the identity of which is not known,” Marak said.
He did not rule out the possibility of militants targeting deputy commissioner’s office.
He added that the market was sealed off to search for the device and the boy but failed to find either one.
“We cannot take any chances. If an explosion had taken place there would have been immense casualties since the market was thriving with huge crowds,” said the police chief and added that his department received intelligence reports about GNLA explosive expert Hedeo alias Cellopa being the brainchild behind the operation to target Willimnagar.
“We have credible reports which reveal that Hedeo was authorised by GNLA chief Sohan Shira to supervise the operation,” the SP said.