A joint operation by the army, the Central Reserve Police Force and the police have foiled an attempt of Kamtapur Liberation Organisation militants to blow up a railway track in the run up to Independence Day celebrations in Assam.
Four IEDs have been recovered in Kokrajhar and Nagaon districts since Thursday night and a KLO insurgent planting the explosive device on the railway track between Kokrajhar and Guwahati railway stations was killed in an encounter, official sources said on Friday.
Acting on a tip off that KLO ultras would plant an IED on the railway track between Kokrajhar and Guwahati, a joint operation was launched by the police, the army's 3rd Rajput Regiment and 129 Battalion of the CRPF at Rabhapara village of Kokrajhar district, Inspector General of Police L R Bishnoi told PTI.
At about 11.45 pm, an encounter took place between KLO cadre and the joint operation team in which one hardcore KLO militant was seriously injured, Bishnoi said.
The militant was immediately shifted to RNB civil Hospital in Kokrajhar but he succumbed to his injuries, he said. Stating that the militants had a plan of causing a blast on the railway track in the run up to Independence day, the IGP said the other militants fled under the cover of darkness.
The KLO militant was identified as Rabi Ray alias Bolai Ray alias Dharambir Ray, 23, of Dolgaon village of Kokrajhar district, Bishnoi said.
A 7 kg powerful improvised explosive device, a detonator, a 7.65 mm pistol, a pistol magazine, two fired cases and live rounds, two hand grenades, four mobile SIMs and one hand bag were recovered from the spot, a defence spokesman said.
In Nagaon district, a joint police and CRPF team recovered three IEDs from the house of one person at Botabari under Dhing police station last night, police spokesman said.
The person identified as Nazimuddin has been arrested, the spokesman said.
