Following the alarming disclosure by the banned militant group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) that explosives had been planted at multiple locations in Guwahati on the 78th Independence Day, city police launched a massive search operation on Saturday night.

The militant outfit, in an email sent to the media on August 15, claimed responsibility for placing explosives at 24 locations across Assam including Guwahati as a mark of protest. The group also revealed that planned blasts between 6 am and 12 noon on Independence Day could not be executed due to technical issues. Citing "public safety" concerns, ULFA-I made the bomb sites public and urged residents to aid in locating and deactivating the devices.

In response, Guwahati police initiated extensive checks that lasted until the early hours of Sunday morning, with search efforts concentrated on both two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Key areas such as Hatigaon, Khanapara, Six Mile, Lastgate, Dispur, and ABC were under intense scrutiny, with police operations continuing until 2-3 am.

Witnesses described the police raids as being conducted in a "war-like manner," reflecting the gravity of the situation. A local youth, who works in food delivery, commented that if such stringent checks had been in place before Independence Day, the security breach might have been avoided.

Earlier, the 78th Independence Day celebrations in Assam were marred by bomb scares and frantic search operations. Director General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh confirmed that extensive search operations are ongoing in Guwahati and other parts of the state, and "suspicious articles" have been recovered.