Blast at Numaligarh Refinery: ULFA claims responsibility

GUWAHATI: Hardliner ULFA militants under defiant commander in chief, Paresh Baruah claimed to have used magnetic timer device to trigger explosion in the Upper Assam based Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) on Saturday.

Police however refuted the ULFA’s claim and termed the same as industrial accident. ULFA’s publicity wing member, Joy Asom in a statement said, “The explosion has been carried by the organization like it has done in the past in Indian Oil Corporation’s Guwahati Refinery and Oil India Limited’s facility in Duliajan in Upper Assam.”

People in the locality heard the explosion before the fire engulfed the hydro cracker unit. Hardliner ULFA stated that it has warned that it will carry out strike against those exploiting the natural resource of the state.

Security forces in the state were on maximum alert following the raising day of ULFA. The outfit has carried out strike in the past in the run to the April 7. The outfit observes this day as its formation day.