Dibrugarh: Tinsukia police claimed it foiled a terror attack on civilians in Tinsukia town on Friday, arresting two Myanmar-trained cadres of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) near Jagun under Lekhapani Police Station in an intelligence-led operation conducted jointly with central agencies.The arrested men were identified as self-styled second lieutenant Siyor Asom alias Humenjyoti Baruah, 27, son of Uttam Baruah of Panitola, and self-styled second lieutenant Manoj Asom alias Papu Moran, 30, son of Dicem Moran of Baghjan, both in Tinsukia district. Both had joined Ulfa (I) in 2018, received arms training in Myanmar, and are described by police as hardened cadres involved in multiple terror incidents over the years.The two were intercepted while travelling in a car by a police team led by additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Mrinmoy Das under the supervision of SSP Tinsukia Mayank Kumar, acting on specific intelligence inputs. During the interception, one of the cadres attempted to pull the pin of a grenade and hurl it at the police team from inside the vehicle but was overpowered.A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of two AK-56 rifles, 172 rounds of AK ammunition, two hand grenades, a medical kit containing syringes and opioid medicines, food supplies, backpacks, other war-like stores and cash. Police said the seized items indicated the cadres were prepared for sustained operations.Addressing a news conference in Tinsukia on Saturday, SSP Mayank Kumar, accompanied by ASP (Headquarters) Mrinmoy Das and ASP (Crime) Dinesh Pratap Singh Rathore, said the cadres had been instructed by Ulfa (I) leadership to open fire indiscriminately on civilians in Tinsukia town to create widespread terror among public.“They were instructed to carry out indiscriminate firing and kill as many people as possible. Their planning was to carry out a heinous act of terrorism under the influence of anti-India elements and external actors. They had planned a big attack. We were able to stop them due to help from central agencies. The two cadres were a critical element of the Ulfa (I) operational team active in Tinsukia,” the SSP said.The planned modus operandi, police said, suggested the influence and support of external actors attempting to destabilise the region and disrupt public peace.Intelligence sources said Ulfa (I) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah was in direct telephone contact with the two cadres and had personally blessed the operation. The attack was planned for Friday evening. The cadres were arrested around 2pm. Police withheld the information for several hours for operational and investigative reasons, and the news came to light late Friday night. Unaware of their arrest, Baruah reportedly continued monitoring Assam news channels throughout the evening, waiting for confirmation of the attack, sources said.Intelligence sources further indicated that Hindi-speaking residents of Tinsukia were the intended targets, pointing to a calculated effort to disturb communal harmony and trigger panic in the district.Preliminary investigations by the police have linked the two cadres to the ambush on an Army camp at Kakopather on Oct 17, 2025, the attack on an Assam Police Commando Camp on March 21, 2026 and the kidnapping of a crusher employee from Jagun on Oct 23, 2024.A case has been registered at Lekhapani Police Station invoking multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.
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The arrested cadres
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