Tuesday, August 9 2005 17:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: In stepped up ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) attacks in Assam ahead of Independence day, militants today (Aug 9, 2005) fired at a convoy of trucks killing one person on the spot besides, blowing up a gas pipeline, a bridge and disrupting power supply last night (Aug 8, 2005).

A report from Diphu said that militants opened fire at a convoy of five trucks passing through Silvata forest killing the handyman of the first vehicle on the spot in Karbi Anglong district today.

The trucks were carrying rice from the Food Corporation of India godown at Hojai in Nagaon district to the FCI godown in Diphu district.

The police found empty cartridges of AK-47 at the spot but were unable to immediately identify the militant outfit.

ULFA militants disrupted power supply by exploding a bomb today at Chengakhola in Golaghat district damaging three poles. They also blew up a transformer in a Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) powerhouse at Narengi in Noonmati last night.

The ULFA blew up an Oil India Limited gas pipeline at Disaibotha area under Kakotibari police station in Sibsagar late last night causing extensive loss of gas and affecting supply to several tea gardens in the vicinity, police said.

The ultras also exploded a bomb on a steel bridge on Namsai-Bordumsa road along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border last night but no major damage or casualty was reported.

A major disaster was averted in Jorhat town as police defused a time bomb found in front of two adjacent schools just five minutes before it was set to explode yesterday.

Meanwhile, a huge bag found abandoned at the Assam Engineering College Ground at Chandmari created a stir today but the police on investigation found only an old TV set and some old clothes inside.