Assam: Third Blast Near Army Installations Since November, Banned Outfit ULFA-I Claims Responsibility

The banned insurgent group Ulfa-Independent has claimed responsibility for a bomb blast near an army camp in Jorhat district.

The explosion occurred on Thursday (14 December) evening, marking the third such incident by the group since November.

As reported by Deccan Herald, Rumel Asom, a member of Ulfa-Independent's publicity wing, issued a statement on Friday (15 December) , stating that the attack was a direct response to Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh's characterisation of the Ulfa conflict as a law and order issue.

The insurgent group firmly asserted that the conflict is inherently political and can only be resolved through political means.

The explosion took place near the army's 41 sub area unit at Lisubari in Jorhat, as reported by Ulfa.

The Indian Army, confirming the incident, stated that a "mild" blast occurred in a waste bin near the gate of the army camp.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the explosion, according to Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, the army spokesperson.

This recent incident follows similar explosions near army installations in Tinsukia and Sivasagar districts in November and another earlier this month.

The districts of Jorhat, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, and Charaideo in eastern Assam are considered strongholds of Ulfa-Independent.

Ulfa, formed in 1979, has been advocating for a "sovereign Assam" for a long time.

While one faction, led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and General Secretary Anup Chetia, has been engaged in talks with the government since 2011, another faction led by Paresh Baruah, known as Ulfa-I, remains outside the peace process.