Guwahati, June 25: The explosive used in the Machkhowa blast, which claimed six lives on Saturday, has been identified as TNT (trinitrotoluene). This was confirmed by police sources today.
A senior police officer said forensic tests have confirmed the use of TNT, which is a high-grade explosive, in the Machkhowa blast. At least eight powerful bombs can be manufactured with just one kg of TNT.
“This finding has further strengthened our suspicions that Ulfa is behind Saturday’s explosion as the rebel outfit has used TNT in almost all the explosions it has carried out in the recent past,” he said.
Ulfa spokesman and deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, however, has denied the outfit’s involvement in the explosion.
“A team of forensic experts, which studied the blast site, reported striking similarities between the Machkhowa blast and other explosions carried out by Ulfa in different parts of the state recently. We suspect Ulfa to have carried out the blast as we have not found any evidence to prove otherwise,” the officer said.
“Even the detonating mechanism and modus operandi for triggering the bombs were similar,” he pointed out.
The police found that the timer used to set off the bomb was similar to those generally used by Ulfa militants.
He said the rebel outfit’s use of sophisticated bombs has made the task of security forces difficult.
“It is very simple to detonate such bombs as the only thing that is needed to be done is to cut a wire just before leaving it at the spot where it will be exploded,” he explained.
“To manufacture such bombs, a militant needs to be well-trained. Generally, these bombs are manufactured somewhere outside the city and then brought in by junior activists and linkmen of the city,” the officer said.
He said Ulfa was using advanced detonating mechanisms to trigger bombs after a 16-member team of the outfit acquired training in the use of explosives such as TNT and RDX in Mansera district in Pakistan with ISI help in 2004.
He explained that Ulfa activists generally travel to Pakistan via Bangladesh and Nepal.
“Ulfa has even procured sophisticated RDX, TNT and other explosives from various foreign agencies in Bangladesh,” he added.
