'Suicide squads to stage massive terror attacks'

Two influential separatist groups in Assam have decided to form suicide squads and stage joint terror attacks in crowded places, including the police headquarters, says a government report.

Two influential separatist groups in Assam have decided to form suicide squads and stage joint terror attacks in crowded places, including the police headquarters, says a government report.

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According to an Assam home department report, top leaders of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) met somewhere in Bangladesh last month and finalised the terror blueprint.

Their plans include blowing up a vital road-cum-rail bridge and targeting the police headquarters, say the secret document.

"Taking a cue from Taliban sponsored suicide attacks in Pakistan, the NDFB and ULFA are planning to carry out major blasts and suicide attacks on Assam police headquarters and the Special Branch headquarters with the help of jehadi elements in the coming few days," the home department report available with IANS reads.

The report also warned that the NDFB-ULFA combine was planning to blow up the Saraighat road-cum-rail bridge over the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati - a vital lifeline connecting Assam to the rest of India.

"There are plans to blow up the Saraighat Bridge by exploding an explosive-laden oil tanker," the report warned.

"The NDFB will procure arms and explosives from international gunrunners and for that their leader Ranjan Daimary has already handed over $75,000 to ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah," the report said.

The report was based on both intelligence inputs and vital information provided by a surrendered NDFB leader before police interrogators.

The report also mentioned 251 NDFB militants willing to surrender.

"(The) NDFB cadres have been lately sending feelers to intelligence agencies expressing their willingness to surrender. But since the number of weapons are far less than the number of cadres willing to surrender, the group has been kept under surveillance pending an appropriate decision," the report said.

The NDFB was blamed for the Oct 30 serial explosions in Assam last year in which about 100 people were killed and more than 500 wounded.

Following the home department report, security forces have been put on maximum alert across the state.