10 kg RDX recovered
From Our Correspondent

GURDASPUR, Aug 7 — The police had recovered a large quantity of RDX and other explosive material reportedly to be used by extremists on Independence Day, district police chief Varinder Kumar said today.

The explosive material was recovered on August 4 when Hakikat Singh alias Kitti, led the police to a place near Bath Sahib gurdwara where he had hidden them. Hakikat Singh himself dug out 10 kg of the RDX, two detonators and two fuse wires.

During interrogation the accused disclosed that two consignments were given to him and Kewal Singh in Pakistan by Ranjit Singh alias Mitta, chief of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), for carrying out explosions at crowded places.

One consignment was seized by the district police on March 28, the SSP said.

Hakikat Singh, who was on parole from January 4 to April 26, went to Pakistan with Kewal Singh where Kewal Singh arranged his meeting with Ranjit Singh.

Ranjit Singh trained him in preparing and exploding bombs and offered him Rs 5,000 for smuggling the consignment of explosive material and Rs 10,000 for exploding them at crowded places.

The consignment of 10 kg of RDX hidden by him was to be further supplied to the Punjab extremists who were to contact him after receiving a telephone message from Ranjit Singh.

Thereafter, the RDX was to be used to disrupt Independence Day celebrations.

This recovery has indicated that Pakistan-based militants and the ISI were using "drug couriers" and "smugglers" for carrying and supplying weapons and explosives to Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab-based militants, the SSP said.

ULFA men blow up rail track
Major train mishap averted

GUWAHATI, Aug 7 (UNI) — The passengers of the Guwahati-bound North-East Express had a narrow escape when suspected militants of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) blew up track derailing its pilot train between Bijni and Patiladha stations near Bongaigaon in lower Assam today even as security measures were stepped up ahead of the Independence Day, official sources said.

The driver of the pilot train, which was providing security to the North-East Express, escaped unhurt. The engine of the pilot train was damaged in the explosion that took place on a bridge at 45 minutes past midnight.

A portion of the bridge and about 155 metres of the track were damaged in the explosion. A high tension electricity tower was also damaged in a blast at Bhalaguri, about 40 km from Barpeta district headquarters, the sources said.

Explosive experts of the Border Security Force (BSF) defused another bomb found on the track near Bijni station, a North-East Frontier Railway spokesman here said.

The North-East Express, which was following the security train, was halted at Bijni station after the driver of the derailed train informed the station.

Several passenger and freight services were suspended following the derailment, the sources said.

Senior railway officials were supervising the track clearing work. Some long distance trains were reschedule, a railway spokesman said.

Additional security forces were rushed to the area to launch a search for the militants who were behind to the blast, the police said.