Mortar attacks: Police hear ULFA return warning

In all the three attacks, the militants used 60-mm mortars with 10 tailfins. ‘‘While mortars used by the Indian armed forces have eight tailfins, it is the Pakistani and Chinese armies which use such mortars,’’ says Hiren Nath, city SP. He says, this suggests the mortars were acquired from the ISI of Pakistan and smuggled in from Bangladesh, where the ULFA is believed to have several hideouts.

Security was tightened in Guwahati following

Sunday’s mortar attack, including at various defence and oil installations, VVIP enclaves like the Dispur capital complex and the state assembly building.

The rattled state government also took on Defence Minister George Fernandes who, passing through

Guwahati the day the mortar attack was made on the IAF mess, accused the Congress regime of failing to ensure the security of vital installations.

Rural Development Minister Ripun Bora retorted by asking what the Centre was doing when militants had attacked Parliament.

Assam Police, for their part, have identified the village from where Sunday’s mortars were launched. The mortar pierced through the asbestos roof of the mess and landed on the verandah.

‘‘The ULFA is trying to prove that it is alive and kicking despite several major reversals during the recent past. Striking in Guwahati, and particularly at the airport and the IAF base, gives them a lot of publicity,’’ notes Nath.

The SP says that mortars are new to the ULFA armoury, with only two such attacks reported prior to the three recent Guwahati incidents.

‘‘It is always important for the militants to make their presence felt by striking in Guwahati. The entire media is here to report, and as desired, the attack gets them to the front page. Moreover, it is easy to escape because one can easily cross the Brahmaputra by boat,’’ Nath says.

However, he refuses to accept that these incidents were due to police failure, saying 20 people had been rounded up and a live mortar and a shawl believed to have been left behind by the militants recovered from a village close to the airport after Sunday’s incident.