By IANS,
Guwahati : The Assam government Sunday decided to raise a special anti-terrorist force and form a security advisory council to deal with terrorist and fundamentalist activities in the state following the Oct 30 serial bombings in the state that killed 79 people and wounded 300.
“We shall raise a battalion named Assam Task Force (ATF) for exclusively combating terrorist and fundamentalist activities in an effective manner,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told journalists.
“Apart from the ATF, we shall also form an elite wing for dealing with explosions.”
The announcements follows a wave of bombings in the state, investigations into which are currently on to pinpoint those involved in the terror strikes.
“Investigations are progressing well and moving on in the right direction with lots of clues available with us,” the chief minister said.
“It is still premature to divulge anything at this point.”
Gogoi said terrorism would continue to flourish as long as (anti-national) “forces from the northeast and Assam get shelter in the neighbouring country”, hinting at Bangladesh.
“Maybe the forces that are sheltered in the neighbouring country carried out the blasts at the diktats of somebody else,” the chief minister said without taking any names.
Meanwhile, people across Assam are lighting candles and offering prayers Sunday as a mark of respect to those who were killed in the wave of bombings.