NALBARI, FEB 27: ULFA militants struck in a big way when they killed Assam Forest and PWD Minister Nagen Sarmah and four others by detonating a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Nalbari today.The minister's vehicle was blown up seven feet above the ground under the impact of the explosion at Bahjani village five kms away for Nalbari town, according to official sources.The minister was returning to the town after attending a function in South Nalbari when the ultras detonated the powerful device near an electric post.The white ambassador vehicle in which the minister was travelling along with his security officer, assistant, the driver and a local contractor, who were also killed, was badly damaged and the parts strewn to a distance of 600 metres.A ten-feet deep crater was created under the impact of the blast which created a huge sound and was heard by people of the neighbouring villages, sources said.The Army, which was immediately deployed for combing operation in the area, started interrogating several suspected peopleThe other four vehicles in the convoy were not damaged and there was no injury to persons travelling in them.On its part, the banned ULFA has claimed the responsibility of killing the state miister and four others. In a faxed statement, the ULFA publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary termed the Minister as a ``traitor'', but regretted the death of Pranabesh Barua and three others whom they described as innocent persons.Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has condemned the killing and ordered the district administration to ensure that the militants did not escape.Mahanta who was on way to Guwahati after attending the session of Bodo Sahitya Sabha visited the incident site and took stock of the situation.Terming the killing as a "act of cowardice", Mahanta said such incidents would not deter the government from taking firm steps to root out militancy from the state.The Chief Minister chaired a high level meeting with the DGP, and top Army and police officials and discussed the security scenario in the aftermath of the killing.The police meanwhile said that security has been tightened and troops put on maximum alert to track down the militants who could use the exit points of the district to escape."The army has intensified patrolling in the district and raided suspected ULFA hideouts to nab the culprits", a senior army officer of the 21 Mountain Brigade said.
