Guwahati, July 21 - The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) separatist group was luring students with money to carry out explosions ahead of Independence Day, say police and army officers in Assam.

'The ULFA is trapping students from economically weak families and some of them studying in towns and cities away from their homes to indulge in terror strikes... maybe using them to carry explosives or doing other such things,' Assam police chief G.M. Srivastava told IANS.

'It is not that the ULFA managed a large number of such students but even if the number is less, it is a bad trend,' he added.

In parts of eastern Assam, the ULFA has managed to hire several young students for carrying out subversive attacks.

'This is a fact. The ULFA has of late been hiring students to trigger blasts,' said an army commander, requesting not to be named.

'These students are used by the ULFA to carry out grenade attacks and other explosions in public places in return for money and things like mobile telephones, cars and motorbikes,' he said.