Cadres of the outlawed ULFA, behind a wave of bomb attacks that have killed at least eight persons and injured over 50 in the last six days, acquired training in explosives in Pakistan under foreign experts.

Disclosing this, the Assam Police today said that over a dozen such trained cadres are currently at large in the state. Khagen Sharma, IGP Special Branch, said at least two batches of ULFA cadres had been to Pakistan for explosives training.

“The ULFA sent six boys to Pakistan in 2002 and 16 more in 2004, and all received training in explosives and bombs. They are trained in the use of RDX, TNT, PETN and other dangerous explosives by some foreign agencies which also supply them these materials,” he said. He called a press conference after ULFA chief Paresh Barua put out an e-mail, denying his group’s hand in the recent blasts and blamed Sharma instead.

According to the IGP, the ULFA cadres travel to Pakistan via Bangladesh from where they return using the same route after training. Among ULFA leaders who took training in Pakistan were Ashanta Bagh-Phukan and Bening Rabha, both of whom have been missing since the Bhutan operations of December 2003.

On Paresh Barua, Sharma said the ULFA commander was still in Bangladesh, though he keeps travelling to other countries.