GUWAHATI, April 5 - The United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) had targeted police personnel with Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) explosion at Dudhnoi in Goalpara district last evening.
One Assam Police commando and a hardcore member of the ULFA (I) were killed in an encounter in Krishnai area in Goalpara district.
Highly placed police sources told The Assam Tribune that following the blast last evening, in which three persons were killed and around 25 others received injuries, the ULFA(I) members involved in the incident called up their leaders to say that even the officer-in-charge of the Dudhnoi PS was among those injured. Though several police personnel were injured in the incident, the OC was not among those injured. Sources said that the conversation of the ULFA(I) members was intercepted by the security agencies and from that the plan of the ultras came to light.
Sources revealed that the IED was planted on a drain near a fixed picket of the police. Though an election office of the BJP was located about 100 metres away from the blast site, police sources said that the target was not any political party.
Immediately after the incident, a massive manhunt was launched against those involved and a team of the Assam Police managed to locate the three member group of the ULFA(I), which was suspected to be involved in the incident. One militant and an Assam Police commando were killed in the gun battle. However, the other two militants managed to escape.
Sources said that there were reports of movement of a group of militants in the Assam-Meghalaya border areas, but the militants have been able to take advantage of the terrain to survive in the area. The Assam Police is in constant touch with the Meghalaya Police and both the police forces even launched joint operations in the inter-state border areas, sources said.
Police also said that extra precautionary measures have been taken so that the people can cast their votes without any apprehension in the second phase of polls.
