Ahead of the Republic Day and Global Investment Summit scheduled for early next month, suspected Naga terrorists on Tuesday set on fire nine oil tankers carrying crude oil near Jagun along the Assam Arunachal Pradesh border.
There is, however, no report of any human causality as the drivers and handymen of the tankers managed to escape.
Police said that the incident took place at Namsik near Jagun in Tinsukia district of Assam today evening. “The oil tankers carrying crude oil from Kharsang and were on their way to Digboi. The ten vehicles stopped at Namsik for halt and were waiting for some other tankers to join them before proceeding to Digboi. However, five youths came and set the vehicles on fire one after another,” said the police while adding that nine vehicles have been set on fire.
“It is difficult to name any outfit so far but NSCN (K) is active in the area and we suspect their hands behind the incident. The anti-talk faction of Ulfa have also been active in the area. It can also be a joint operation by the NSCN (K) and Ulfa faction,” said a senior police official.The incident assumes significance as security had been intensified in and around the Tinsukia district recently following intelligence reports that a group of anti-talk faction of Ulfa terrorists had entered the State to carryout subversive activities ahead of the Republic Day celebration.
Although there had been a lull in subversive activities in Assam for sometime.the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa terrorists had been intensified subversive in and around the district. While the outfit had killed a BJP leader and his son in Tinsukia district about two months back, the outfit had also abducted a businessman’s son last month.