That the banned United Liberation Front of Asom has been using the Brahmaputra River channel to ferry arms and ammunition to strike terror in the heart of Guwahati city located bang on the south bank of the Brahmaputra was established after the police seized 10 kilograms of RDX explosives and arrested two ULFA militants and four conduits of the outfit from a boat on the Brahmaputra at Goroimari in Kamrup district on Thursday.

Police also seized the country boat that has been used by the ULFA to ferry explosives and arms to Guwahati from Western Assam areas by dodging strict vigil by the police and the army on all land routes leading to the state's capital city.

A senior police official informed that ULFA militants of late had been using the river route from Dhupdhara in Goalpara district to Goromari.

The use of country boats by the militants is a very smart move given that these boats hardly make any noise. Country boats are difficult to spot during night hours.

River policing in Assam is confined to only certain pockets, a reality that has worked to the advantage of militants using the river route.

The militants arrested with the consignment of explosives on Thursday had travelled from Dhupdhara in Goalpara district via Mangaldoi to Goroimari where they entered into a trap laid by policemen in civvies who were waiting for the ultras since daybreak.

There were seven persons in the boat -- two ULFA militants, four conduits of the outfit and the boatman.

Police claimed that the militants had confessed to have been using the river route for quite some time to carry explosives, ammunition and arms using country boats.

In case of strict police vigil or raid on the river bank on a particular day, the militants used to just dump the explosives or ammunition in the river to deceive the security personnel.

However, the police managed to outsmart the militants on Thursday.