By IANS,
Guwahati : A major blast in an oil pipeline was averted in Assam’s Dibrugarh district Monday when security forces detected two powerful bombs on one of the trunk lines.
Security forces found two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted on a pipeline of Oil India Limited (OIL) in Tengakhat area of the district. There were three oil producing wells near the pipeline.
“We have intercepted a wireless message in the morning that the suspected militants might try to carry out subversive activities in and around the district today (Monday),” a police official said.
Following the alert, police, army and personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) intensified patrolling in the district and recovered the two IEDs Monday evening.
Police suspected militants from the anti-talks faction of the ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) were responsible for the incident and said that the two IEDs were powerful enough to blow up a substantial portion of the pipeline.
Confirming the incident, an OIL spokesman said the two pipelines and the three oil wells near the area were shut down temporarily.
Over 25,000 km of pipelines transport oil in the tea and oil rich districts of upper Assam.