Armed militants abduct three ONGC employees from rig site in Assam

GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: Five armed militants early on Wednesday abducted three employees of stateowned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from a rig site in Assam using a company vehicle driven by a driver employed by the firm.

The militants, suspected to be belonging to the banned ULFA (I) group, later abandoned the vehicle and its driver near Nimonagarh jungle close to the Assam-Nagaland border, a company official said. At about 1.30 am on Wednesday, five armed militants raided the company’s remote rig site under the Lakwa oilfield in Sivasagar district of Assam. They first locked the two security guards posted at the site before bundling the three young employees into the company’s emergency-cum-medical vehicle stationed at the rig site to drive away.

The official said the company has filed a complaint with the local police and beefed up security at installations in Assam. No gunshot was fired during the abduction. “We don’t know how the entire episode unfolded. The police are looking into it,” he said.

Local and central control rooms have been activated to coordinate with the police to get the employees released. “A high-level review of security of employees and their families has been held and we are taking additional measures,’ the official said, refusing to elaborate on steps taken. “We are also taking help from local police.”

ONGC has around 2,000 employees, officers and support staff in the Sivasagar asset.