Pipeline blown up ahead of Manmohan’s Assam trip

A police spokesman said suspected militants of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) late Sunday blasted a crude oil pipeline near Palasguri village in the western Chirang district, 220km from Assam's main city Guwahati.

"The pipeline belonging to the Indian Oil Corporation was damaged in the blast and two fire tenders fought for nearly an hour to bring the blaze under control," police official A. Das said.

The district magistrate of Chirang, Jiten Borgoyari, said he suspected Ulfa carried out the blast to make their presence felt before the prime minister's visit. No one has claimed responsibility.

The blast disrupted supply to the Bongaigaion refinery in western Assam although restoration work was under way, an oil corporation official said.

Singh was due to launch a series of development projects in the state, as well as to lay the foundation stone of a 30 billion rupee (675 million dollar) power plant at Salakati in western Assam.

Salakati is close to the site of Sunday's blast.

"Security forces have been put on high alert across the state in view of the blast and the prime minister's visit," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told AFP.

Ulfa has been fighting for an independent Assamese homeland since 1979.

Meanwhile, employees of India's premier oil exploration firm in Assam have asked for increased security after the rebels made a 5.0 billion rupee (112 million dollar) extortion demand against the company, an official said Monday.