ULFA's strength has declined: Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: With the ULFA observing its annual ' martyr's day' in Assam, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the strength of the insurgents has declined and the security forces have foiled many of their attempts.

"Today is their 'shaheed divas' and so they are trying their best to make their presence felt. We are resilient and the security forces have foiled many attempts, Gogoi said.

"However, some incidents have occurred and we are very serious about this," Gogoi told reporters here referring to the grenade blasts in the state this week.

He said that they were carried out by the anti-talk faction of ULFA led by Paresh Barua.

"ULFA's strength has come down a lot. When I took charge in 2001, about 400 people were killed a year by them. It is only around 10 deaths so far this year," Gogoi said.

Stating that the government has alerted all districts to keep a strict vigil, he accused the banned outfit of getting help from 'more than one country' to destabilise peace and development in the state.

Earlier this week, six persons were injured in a grenade blast at a busy market area in Bokolia town in Karbi Anglong district.

A day earlier, suspected insurgents triggered three serial grenade blasts in Lakhimpur district, injuring five persons on the high security Deputy Commissioner Court road, jail Road and Chawlkhowa areas.

The police have arrested four persons, including an ULFA cadre and three surrendered members of the outfit for the Lakhimpur incident.

Another militant, who was tasked with carrying out a blast in Dibrugarh, also surrendered.