Guwahati:   The banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has claimed responsibility for planting 19 bombs across Assam in an attempt to disrupt Independence Day celebrations. 

The militant group, in a press release on Thursday, said that the bombs were placed in several locations throughout Upper and Lower Assam, including Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, and Guwahati.

The ULFA-I stated that the bombs were intended to detonate between 6 a.m. and 12 noon as a show of the group’s strength. However, due to “technical reasons,” the planned explosions did not occur, and the group has since canceled the operation. They have called on authorities to locate and defuse the explosives to prevent any harm to the public.

In response, the police reported discovering “suspicious items” at multiple locations, including Sivasagar and Nagaon. Security forces have been placed on high alert across the state, with bomb disposal squads and emergency services actively involved.

The ULFA-I also provided a list of specific locations where bombs were allegedly planted, such as the DTO Office, ONGC Number 5 Gate, Dibrugarh Lakuwa Tinali, and other sites across Assam. The group also noted that the exact locations of some bombs in areas like Panitola in Tinsukia district and parts of Dibrugarh and Golaghat could not be confirmed.