GUWAHATI, Dec 21 ? The Royal Bhutan Army, in the operation against the militants, recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, which speaks volumes of the arms and ammunition available with the militant groups. Highly placed security sources revealed that as per the list of weapons recovered from the militant camps, which was handed over to the Government of India by the Bhutan Government, more than 700 weapons have so far been recovered from the militant camps. Sources said that the list submitted included 500 AK-47 rifles, about a hundred pistols and other sophisticated weapons like anti-aircraft guns, 60 mm mortars, SLRs etc. The RBA also recovered more than 150,000 rounds of ammunition including about 80,000 rounds of AK series ammunition.
Sources said that the RBA has busted at least 30 camps of the militant outfits United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) during the operation launched in the morning of December 15 and the operation is still on to flush out the militants hiding in the jungles. Though the exact number of casualties is yet to be ascertained, according to reports available with the Indian security agencies, more than 120 militants have so far been killed and the NDFB suffered most number of casualties. However, most of those killed were new recruits in their late teens or early 20s, sources added.
Meanwhile, the Government of Bhutan has informed the Government of India the details of the last meeting with the ULFA leaders to persuade them to leave the territory of Bhutan. Sources revealed that in the last meeting held between the Bhutan Government and the ULFA on November 22 and 23, the militant outfit was represented by Sasha Choudhury, Asanta Baghphukan and Bhimkanta Buragohain. In the meeting, the Bhutan Government asked the ULFA to leave the territory of Bhutan immediately and rejected the ULFA?s plea for granting them some more time. The Bhutan Government also asked the ULFA representatives to send the Commander in Chief Paresh Baruah and Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa for talks, but they never came and the ULFA also did not take any step to move their cadres and camps from Bhutan, forcing the Government of the Hilayan Kingdom to launch the offensive.
Sources said that after the meeting, some top leaders of the ULFA were moved out from Bhutan to Bangladesh and the foreign secretary of the outfit Sasha Choudhury also went to Bangladesh after the meeting. It may be mentioned here that the ULFA cultural secretary Pranati Deka was apprehended when she was on her way from Bangladesh from Bhutan. Sources pointed out that apart from the publicity secretary Mithinga Daimari, who kept a low profile for the last couple of years, none of the top leaders of the ULFA was apprehended during the operation.
Sources also pointed out that the striking power of the ULFA and the NDFB would come down considerably after they lose their foothold in Bhutan as earlier the militants used to retreat back to their camps in Bhutan after each strike, making it impossible for the security forces to nab them. However, the ULFA still has bases and camps in two other neighbouring countries-Bangladesh and Myanmar and most of the operations in the Upper Assam districts are still being launched from the Myanmar bases. After the flush out from Bhutan, it would be impossible for the militants from regaining foothold in the country once again as the Assam-Bhutan border, which was totally open at one point of time, will now be guarded by the SSB. Sources said that four to five new battalions of the SSB are being raised for the purpose and they are expected to take position shortly.
Our Delhi Correspondent adds : Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, M Morshed Khan has said that security measures have been beefed up along the border with India to thwart any attempt by Indian insurgents to enter Bangladesh to escape the offensive launched by the Bhutanese army. However, the Foreign Minister has also dismissed Delhi?s claim that Indian insurgents have taken refuge in Bangladesh.
Reports from Dhaka quoted the Foreign Minister as having denied Indian allegations that insurgents have bases in Bangladesh. About reports that some insurgent leaders including the ULFA leaders have taken shelter in Bangladesh, he claimed the Indian government might have dreamt of it but the reality was that Bangladesh firmly believed in the principle of not allowing any insurgents to operate against any county from its soil.
Meanwhile Bhutanese Ambassador has said that owing to the communications problem, the King had to be in the affected area to closely monitor the activities. The King is also overseeing the relief arrangements to ensure that if the local population is affected and displaced, the needs of the people are attended to with the immediate required provisions and necessary facilities,? he told newsmen today. It should be noted that the King is the head of state, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Bhutan Army. It is, therefore, quite natural that he should desire to be closer to the army and the affected people owing to the flushing out exercise.
?News report that the King has been leading the operation are exaggerated. The flushing out exercise is being led by the Royal Bhutan Army and its local commanders in the field,? he clarified. Royal Government of Bhutan has also denied news report about Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck sustaining injuries while taking part in the ongoing operations against ULFA, NDFB and KLO. When asked to comment on reports a spokesperson of the Royal Bhutanese Embassy, Lily Wangchhuk said that the Prince was not directly involved in ongoing operations but has been assigned the duty of guarding vital installations.
The Ambassador of Bhutan, Lyonpo Dago Tshering has also clarified that the Prince was one of the militia amongst hundreds of men and women who have volunteered as militia. While the government has imparted training to the volunteered militia, they have not been assigned the task of carrying out the flushing out operation. They have only been assigned to guarding vital installations such as power plants, development infrastructure, government offices, and institutions, he clarified. There is no truth in a number of reports that appeared in the media about direct involvement of the Prince in the flushing out operation of the militants from Bhutan, he said.