NIA Foils ULFA(I) Plot with IED Recovery in Assam

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recovered a live IED in Assam's Lakhimpur district, linked to ULFA(I) terrorists planning to disrupt Independence Day celebrations. The bomb was defused by the Assam Police Bomb Disposal Squad. The NIA continues to investigate further suspects involved in the placement of IEDs across Assam.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday recovered a live improvised explosive device (IED) from Assam's Lakhimpur district. The explosive, placed by ULFA (I) terrorists as part of their conspiracy to disrupt this year's Independence Day, was recovered early this morning by an NIA team, according to an official statement. It was later defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad of Assam Police, said the statement issued by the probe agency.

The NIA discovered the bomb during an investigation into a case relating to a previous recovery of IEDs from North Lakhimpur district by the Assam Police on August 15. The state police had swung into action following the release of a video by Paresh Baruah, the self-styled chief of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), declaring a 'military' protest by the banned terror outfit across Assam on Independence Day. He had also called for a public boycott of the Independence Day celebration, warning of dire consequences if people disobeyed the instructions.

The NIA, which took over the investigation from the state police on September 17, found that the ULFA (I) leadership had coordinated the placement of several IEDs with the intention to trigger blasts at multiple locations across Assam to protest against the celebrations of Independence Day, 2024, and to strike terror in the minds of people, as part of a larger conspiracy. Further investigations revealed the involvement of one Girish Baruah alias Gautam Baruah and his associates in the movement and placement of IEDs in North Lakhimpur district. Baruah was traced and arrested by the NIA from Bengaluru on September 24, and had, on examination, disclosed the location of the yet unrecovered live IED in North Lakhimpur. He further told NIA that the IEDs had been arranged and planted at the behest of Aishang Asom alias Abhiit Gogoi and other top leadership of ULFA(I), the statement added.

(With inputs from agencies.)