Assam Bomb News: Assam received a bomb threat from the militant outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) (ULFA-I) on Thursday. ULFA claimed that it had planted improvised explosive devices (IED) at 24 locations across Assam, including eight in Guwahati, which would be triggered on Independence Day. Reacting to the development, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma sought to send a message to ULFA chief Paresh Baruah.


CM Himanta, while speaking to the media on Thursday, sought to send a message to the self-styled commander of ULFA Paresh Baruah. He said that after a long time Assam is on the path of development and this must not be hammpered.


"Tata Group has started a semiconductor industry in Assam and after this, more investment will come to the state. After several long years, Assam is on the path of development and progress. I want to appeal to ULFA chief Paresh Baruah that there is no need to create a situation in Assam that would be detrimental to the investment opportunities in the state," Himanta Biswa Sarma said. "There are nearly 14 lakhs employable youths in Assam. If there are no industries, our youth will have to go to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to become security guards. If our youth leave the state, who will develop and 'free' Assam. It would be meaningless. I hope we don't get to see a situation in Assam that would worry our out-of-state investors," he said.


The ULFA is a militant organisation that began in 1979-80 with the demand to "free Assam" from India as a separate independent entity. Himanta further said: "It's my humble request to Paresh Baruah not to wane the development momentum in Assam."


READ ON ABP LIVE | ULFA Bomb Threat In Assam Brings Back Grim Memories Of 2004 Dhemaji Bombing On Independence Day


Bomb Threat In Guwahati


The ULFA said that it had planted eight bombs in Guwahati. Acting on the threat, Guwahati Police launched a massive search and managed to locate two "IED-like objects" in Panbazar and Gandhi Basti. After the search, Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah said, "Today, the chief of ULFA-I said that there are eight places in Guwahati where the outfit planted IEDs. We carried out a thorough search of all locations."


"We found two IED-like objects, in Panbazar and Gandhi Basti, with circuits, detonators, and batteries. But the ignition mechanisms were absent on them. Whether the substance we found is explosive or not can be ascertained only by a chemical test."






Earlier on Wednesday and Thursday, the ULFA-I allegedly sent emails to media organisations informing them about the "bombs". However, the terror outfit later said that the bombs did not explode due to a "technical failure".


2004 Dhemaji Bomb Blast


The bomb threat reminded Assam of the horrific Dhemaji bomb exactly two decades ago on August 15, 2004. The targeted explosion killed 18 people, including 10 children. The explosion occurred during an Independence Day programme, which the ULFA had protested. The police accused ULFA of carrying out the attack, but the outfit refuted the allegation.