GUWAHATI, May 29 ? Foreign connections of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) are now well known facts but on the basis of interrogation reports of the militants who were arrested or surrendered in recent years, security forces have pinpointed more than 40 routes commonly used by the cadres of the outfit to visit their foreign bases. Majority of the routes identified lead to the camps of the ULFA in the neighbouring country Bhutan, but several routes used by the militants to visit their bases in Bangladesh and Myanmar have also been identified on the basis of interrogation reports. Security sources said that taking advantage of the lack of counter-insurgency operations in West Bengal, the militants are using the North-Bengal corridor to move between their bases in Bangladesh and Bhutan. These has been talks of launching Army operations in that area, but nothing has yet been finalised, sources said.
Security sources said that according to information available, the militants belonging to the ULFA had visited Afghanistan via Pakistan. They were taken first to Karachi from Dhaka by air and then to Islamabad, also by air. From Islamabad, they were taken by road to Rawalpindi and then to Afghanistan by car. A group of militants also visited China from Thimphu via Paro and Dugyel Dzong. However, Afghanistan and China and not among the countries frequented by the militants, sources pointed out. Sources revealed that Bangladesh is one of the place, frequently visited by cadres of the ULFA. One of the routes commonly used by the militants to go to Bangladesh is via Goalpara and Dhubri districts and Golokganj area of Dhubri district is suspected to be favoured most. Militants also visit Dhaka via Shillong, Dauki and Sylhet district of Bangladesh while according to the interrogation report of a militant arrested recently in Tripura, a group of ULFA men also visited the ATTF militants? camp at Satsoi in Bangladesh only last year. They started off from Kumarikata in Nalbari district near the Assam-Bhutan border and moved through Goalpara and Dhubri districts to enter Bangladesh through the Roydhubi-Sherpur area and proceeded through Dhaka to visit the ATTF camp.
With India having an open border with Bhutan, the militants freely move in and out of their camps in the Himalayan Kingdom, but some of the commonly used routes, including those going through North-Bengal areas have been identified. Sources said that the militants mostly visit camps in Bhutan through the districts of Nalbari, Tamarhat area of Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Darrang, Bongaigaon, etc. Sources said that ULFA cadres also used the route starting from Agomoni in Dhubri district through Toofanganj, Barovisa in West Bengal to visit the camp located at Kalikhoa in Bhutan. To visit Guabari camp from the Kalikhola camp, the militants have to travel through Assam and they start off from Kalikhola bazar and came via Barovisa and Toofanganj in West Bengal and Dhubri before entering Nalbari district to cross over to Bhutan again. Another route known to be used is via Rampur in West Bengal and Kulkuli tea estate, also in the neighbouring State. It may be mentioned here that the 709 battalion of the ULFA is based at Kalikhola.
The ULFA militants also frequently visit Myanmar, where the outfit is maintaining bases with NSCN (K). Security sources said that some of the routes used by the militants to visit Myanmar have been identified and those go through the neighbouring State of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. One such route goes through the Patkai hill range to the camp located at Lunglung in Myanmar. Another route starting from Sonari goes via Nyasa in Mon district of Nagaland and Hoyet in Myanmar to reach the camp at Kachintla. The militants also frequently visit the 2nd Battalion Headquarter of NSCN (K) in Myanmar by going via Mon District. According to information available, the ULFA also has bases and camps at different places in Myanmar including Nania-Niasha, Chunumu, Tamlu, Kachin, etc and they use different routes through Arunachal and Nagaland to visit these bases. Security sources said that though some routes have been identified on the basis of interrogation reports of the arrested or surrendered militants, there must be quite a number of other routes used by the ULFA men to visit their bases in the neighbouring countries.