New Delhi: Sustained counter-insurgency operations against militants in the troubled Northeast region have hit them hard, as a result of which they are trying to combine forces to fight the government, Assam’s police chief told this newspaper.
“These militant organisations are in a considerably weakened state. That is the reason they are trying to combine forces and put up a united platform to attack government forces,” said Mukesh Sahay, director general of police, Assam.
“Ulfa (Independent) has weakened but recruitments are still continuing. We have information of about 30 youth who have joined the outfit in recent months, some of whom we have nabbed. But, the magnitude of recruitment is not like before”.
Ulfa(I) is lead by Paresh Barua, who is opposed to the government’s ongoing talks with the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led Ulfa faction. Barua leads hundreds of heavily-armed fighters from his camps in the China-Myanmar border and in Myanmar’s Sagaing Division.
On Sunday, the Ulfa(I) and the Coordination Committee (CorCom) — a conglomeration of Imphal valley-based Meitei insurgent outfits — claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack on an Army convoy that killed three soldiers and injured four more near Assam’s Pengeri.
“Under this Operation Barak, a joint team attacked the 15 Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army at Burhi Dihing, Tinsukia, Assam on 2016 November 19, 05:30 hours IST. In this attack the joint team killed three soldiers and injured four or more and were able to recover two weapons (one AK Rifle and one INSAS Rifle)”, said the release e-mailed to this newspaper.
“The insurgents involved in the Pengeri attack entered eastern Assam through the Tirap and Changlang areas of Arunachal Pradesh. We are trying to find out whether they are still in the state or have left for the camps across the border in Myanmar and combing operations are in full swing,” he said.
Last year, the NE militant organisations came together under an umbrella organisation called the United National Liberation Front of Western South-East Asia (UNLFW) comprising NSCN (K), ULFA, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO).
On Sunday evening, Meitei insurgents blasted a grenade inside a compound in Imphal where the defence PRO’s office and Assam Rifles offices are located, injuring one armyman.
