The Assam police on Thursday arrested a top United Liberation Front of Asom militant, suspected mastermind of the Independence Day blast in Dhemaji district which left 17, including ten school children, dead.

Dalami Dutta alias Anju Dutta, a self-styled 'lieutenant' of  ULFA's armed wing, was apprehended from the Puthi Nadhi village under the Mariani police station, Jorhat Superintendent of Police Surendra Kumar said.

The SP said as per information available from intelligence sources, Dalami, who is "organising cell in-charge of the outfit's 28th battalion," is suspected to be the mastermind of the Dhemaji blast.

Dutta joined ULFA in 1988 and held several key posts in Myanmar and Bhutan camps.

She has reportedly told her interrogators that she used to talk over the wireless with the outfit's commander in chief, Paresh Barua, who, she claimed, is now in Myanmar.