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ULFA blasts pipeline, bridge, kill seven on 'protest day'

Guerrillas of the United Liberation Front of Asom blew up a portion of the main crude oil pipeline and a vital bridge and gunned down two people as part of its ''protest day'' yesterday, official sources said today.

With this, the militants of the banned outfit blew up two oil pipelines and a bridge and killed seven people, including five security personnel in the past 48 hours.

The ULFA has been observing November 27 as its ''protest day'' since 1990 to avenge the army crackdown on insurgent groups.

Official sources said ULFA militants detonated time devices that blew up a portion of the main crude oil pipeline at Kapili river in Marigaon district. The supply of crude oil to Guwahati, Bongaigaon and Barauni refineries from the oil fields of upper Assam therefore had to be suspended.

The sources said there was heavy exchange of fire between the militants and a police party before the pipeline was blown. The militants kidnapped two Home Guards, who were with the police party, but released them later.

The sources said the oil in the pipeline caught fire after the explosion but timely action saw it quickly doused.

They said the blast in the oil pipeline caused major damage to the nearby railway bridge. About 10 feet of railway track were damaged, resulting in a suspension of train service.

The sources said in Darrang district ULFA guerrillas also blew up a vital bridge with time devices on the Tangri river linking National Highway number 52.

Vehicular traffic on the national highway had been suspended since the bridge was badly damaged in the explosion.

The militants also shot dead a worker of the ruling Asom Gana Parishad at Jagiroad in Marigaon district and gunned down a surrendered ULFA activist at Muktapur in Kamrup district.

The sources said security forces had launched a massive combing operation soon after the blasts to flush out the militants from their hideouts.

Senior officials of the Oil India Limited, the district administration and the police rushed to the sites to ascertain the situation and supervise the restoration work.

On Thursday, ULFA militants blew up a high-speed diesel pipeline between Digboy refinery and Tinsukia and ambushed a patrol party of the Central Industrial Security Force at Sipon in Sibsagar district. Five personnel, including a sub-inspector, were killed.

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