GUWAHATI: Thirty six hours elapsed since the detection of a bomb, which two school children had planted under a road bridge in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district ahead of Independence Day, but it could not be defused, first by the Assam Police and then by the National Security Guard (NSG), till Thursday evening.
The duo had planted the bomb allegedly at the behest of Paresh Baruah faction of banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).
The NSG’s service was sought after the police had failed to defuse the bomb. A 10-member team of the NSG reached Assam on Thursday.
“The NSG team members haven’t been able to ascertain the mechanism (to defuse the bomb) as yet. Usually, they conduct different kinds of analysis, including X-rays, with machines. They have come with machines and are on the job,” Tinsukia Superintendent of Police, Mugdha Jyoti Mahanta, told Express.
“The sunlight is fading. The operation could be suspended and resumed tomorrow (Friday) morning,” he said, adding “We presume it to be a timer device”.
Five bombs had rocked Assam on Independence Day. Four of these were triggered in Tinsukia district. During investigation, the police learnt that the two school boys, who are aged 15 and 16 and students of classes IX and X, had planted the bombs. They had also told the police about the unexploded bomb.