Guwahati, May 21: Police last night recovered powerful explosives stockpiled by the Paresh Barua faction of Ulfa in Assam’s Goalpara district near the state’s boundary with Meghalaya.

Superintendent of police (operations) Ranjan Bhuyan said the explosives were recovered in an operation carried out by the city police with the help of their Goalpara counterparts last night.

The police also arrested two Ulfa linkmen, identified as Bekingson Marak and Jyoti Charan Boro, in connection with the seizure, which included 3.5 kg of plastic explosives, seven detonators, one remote control device and other bomb-making material.

Another police officer said the explosives were buried in the backyard of the house occupied by the two arrested Ulfa linkmen at Landakhunda village under Rangjuli police station in Goalpara district.

The police suspect the explosives were hidden there with the aim of using these for carrying out blasts in the state capital.

The recovery was made from an area where the anti-talks faction of the Ulfa is believed to be active under Dristi Rajkhowa’s leadership.

The officer said a group of Ulfa militants, led by one Amit Rabha, had stockpiled the explosives under the direction of Rajkhowa.

Rabha was a member of the pro-talks group of Ulfa and was staying at the Krishnai designated camp, but had returned to anti-talks faction along with one Bobit Rabha alias Calendar on January 23 this year.

“Bobit was gunned down in an encounter with security forces at Balbala area near Medhikona in Goalpara district on April 8 but Amit Rabha is still at large,” the officer said.

A manhunt has been launched to apprehend Rabha and his associates.