ULFA claims hand in oil station blast in Assam

The Paresh Barua faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) has claimed that it triggered a blast at a major installation of Oil India Limited (OIL) in Assam on Friday.

The purported strike by ULFA at the oil collection station at Tipling near OIL headquarters in Duliajan caused a major fire in two crude oil-laden tankers.

“The attack was part of our campaign to strike at vital installations. Such attacks against groups exploiting Assam’s natural resources will continue,” the ULFA said in a statement.

However, the police as well as OIL rubbished the outfit’s claim. “It was an accidental fire and not an act of sabotage,” the district police chief Arabinda Kalita said. “There was a spark after a minor collision between the two oil tankers,” he said.

“ULFA’s claim that it triggered a blast is a big lie,” Kalita added.
A security officer of OIL also ruled out any sabotage. “A 10-foot-high wall surrounds the area and it is manned by a large number of CISF personnel,” he said indicating it was not possible for the militants to carry out a subversive act in the area.