The banned United Liberation Front of Asom sent a reminder to the tea companies as well as the authorities in Assam that it still has the capacity to launch a major attack when it fired a rocket into a Hindustan Lever factory in upper Assam's Doom Dooma town late on Wednesday night. No casualty was reported.

The rocket, which hit the kitchen of an officer's quarter about a kilometre away from the main factory that produces personal care products, damaged the wall but fortunately did not hit the gas cylinder.

The ULFA, which was banned on November 27, 1990, normally attacks government installations to mark the occasion . It was on this day thirteen years ago that the first of the army's operations against ULFA, codenamed
Operation Bajrang, was launched.

The militant group, which is suspected to have killed several Biharis over the past fortnight, chose its target well last night. It was because of Hindustan Lever's decision in 1990 not to pay extortion money to ULFA and its subsequent decision to airlift its executives that the Operation Bajrang was launched.

About four months ago, ULFA again served an Rs 2 crore extortion note to the same company. The company refused to pay up.

Hindustan Lever has 22 tea gardens in Assam, besides the personal care products factory that employs 700 employees.

Products like toothpaste, shampoos, soaps and detergents are produced at this factory. Industry sources say about 30 per cent of HLL personal care products are now produced at this factory.

Security has been beefed up following the attack, police said.