Insurgency / Assam

Nagaon, June 29: The Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KNLF) today said it was ready to call off its indefinite blockade in the two hill districts if voluntary organisations and political parties can dissuade the rival United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) from attacking its activists.

The KNLF, earlier known as a splinter group of the UPDS, clamped the blockade on June 21 in protest against the killing of four of its members in an encounter with security forces at Donkamokam in the last week of May.

KNLF general secretary H.S. Timung said it might call off the...

ITANAGAR, June 29 – Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister L Wanglat informed the Assembly on Monday that second-in-command of Arunachal Dragon Force (ADF) Chow Monglang along with all cadres of his underground outfit would lay down arms in a ceremony here within a day or two.

The cadres trained by NSCN-K at its Myanmar camp would surrender a cache of arms, including AK-47, AK-56, M 20 pistols and magazines, assorted ammunition, two wireless sets and SBBL guns, which they had brought from the neighbouring country to create a reign of terror in Lohit and parts of lower Dibang valley and Siang...

GUWAHATI, June 29 – Security measures in the Upper Assam districts have been intensified following a series of attacks by the ULFA in the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar. The outfit has been active in the area for the past one year or so and their activities came to the limelight only after the recent blasts. Highly placed police sources told The Assam Tribune that the outfit had been building up its bases in the upper Assam districts for more than a year now and its support base has also widened to a large extent. Sources pointed out that the operations in Bhutan did not affect...

GUWAHATI, June 28 – Close on the heels of the ULFA wrecking havoc in the Upper Assam districts in recent weeks, there is news now that the banned NDFB is preparing to rear its head again in the Lower Assam districts. According to reports here, the outfit, that has been lying low since the operations in Bhutan last December, is preparing to launch a series of attacks in the area. According to sources here, the Bodo outfit has begun to regroup after the massive setbacks suffered in Bhutan where almost half its men either perished or were captured in the Himalayan kingdom. Among them were a few...

KOKRAJHAR, June 27 – The State Government has extended ceasefire agreement with the Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam (ACMA) upto February 2005. The decision for extension of ceasefire has been taken at a meeting which was held on June 23 between Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and a delegation of ACMA. The meeting was held at the CM’s chamber in Janata Bhawan, informed Xabrias Khakha, chairman of ACMA.

Khakha further informed that beside the Chief Minister, Khagen Sharma, Inspector General of Police (special branch), Kanhu Murmu, Chammander in-chief, S Munda, education and environment secretary and...

GUWAHATI, June 26 – State Hill Areas Minister G C Langthasa, while clarifying the position of the State Government regarding the whereabouts of the ULFA leaders allegedly missing since the operation launched by the Royal Bhutanese Army, called upon the ULFA leadership not to draw any connection between the kidnapping of his son by the ULFA with the disappearance of the outfit’s leaders.

In an official statement Langthasa said that he had a detailed discussion with the Chief Minister who categorically asserted that the State Government did not have any information regarding the whereabouts of...

GUWAHATI, June 23 – Even as Upper Assam continues to face the brunt of a sudden spurt in militant activity, there are signals that the ULFA might be preparing to step up the level of its activities in the Lower Assam districts as well. Indications are that the militant outfit is keen to make its presence in the western part of the State. Since the Bhutan operations last year, the outfit has been virtually inactive in Lower Assam, especially in districts like Barpeta and Nalbari that were once the hotbed of ULFA activity.

Sources here disclosed that instructions have been passed on by the ULFA...

TEZPUR, June 22 – The banned ULFA and NDFB which suffered a major setback after Operation Flush-out launched by the Royal Government of Bhutan in the tiny Himalayan Kingdom in December last year have started recruiting new cadres for the outfits and also started serving extortion notes on the business communities of northern Assam despite the heavy presence of security forces.

Highly-placed official sources told this correspondent that both the outfits have served extortion notice to the business community living at Rangapara, Dhekiajuli, Chariduar, Sengalimari in Sonitpur district and to the...

Dibrugarh, June 21: The “brain” of the Ulfa’s dreaded 28th battalion is back in action, sending security forces into a tizzy with a string of attacks in the twin districts of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia over the past few days. High-level police sources said quoting intelligence that the quartet of Prasanta Moran, Mridul Borpatragohain, Dibakar Moran and Antu Chowdang — known as master strategists — are back in the thick of action after the setback in Bhutan during the later part of last year.

“When these four leaders from the outfit’s 28th battalion get to work, it’s a bad omen,” a senior police...

DIBRUGARH, June 21 – Claiming that the recent flush-out operations against militants in Bhutan was a major successful venture of the Bhutanese Army, the GOC of the Tezpur-based Four Corps, Lt Gen AS Jamwal on Monday stressed on improved relations with the masses of efficient information gathering. He said that the Army is aware of the reports of fresh recruitments and extortion drives by the banned ULFA, and added that information gathering is a major way to check militancy.

“Our efforts to restore peace continues, and I am sure that attempts by the militants to bring disorder to society will...