Insurgency / Assam

GUWAHATI, Dec 21 ? The 48-hour Assam, Bodoland and Kamatapur bandh, the call for which was given jointly by ULFA, NDFB and KLO in protest against the Bhutan Government offensive against them, continued to evoke mixed response for the second day today. No untoward bandh related incident was reported from any part of Assam till the time of filing of this report. In Guwahati, the bandh continued to evoke mixed response as private vehicles continued to ply on the roads, while a few auto rickshaws also plied on the city roads. However, only a few city buses plied on the roads. The train and air...

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...

New Delhi, Dec. 20: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) today broke its silence over the Royal Bhutan Army?s operations against militants of the Northeast. Terming the exercise as brutal and cruel, the NSCN (I-M) said the military drive has shocked the people of the region.

?According to reliable sources, almost every arrested person was shot dead, arrested women were raped and even killed mercilessly. Human rights are being grossly violated,? said Thuingaleng Muivah, the outfit?s general secretary, in an email from Oking.

He said it was really sad that a situation has been...

TURA, Dec 20?In view of the Bhutan offensive against the ULFA, NDFB and KLO militants, and the likely attempt by the fleeing militants to enter West Garo Hills before crossing into Bangladesh, the entire border of Garo Hills with Assam has been sealed. Night curfew has been imposed in the bordering areas of Tikrikilla extending upto Goalpara in Assam, and the military-infested areas of Bajendoba and Pedaldoba in East Garo Hills. Two companies of the army are already inside the Garo Hills assisting three companies of the CRPF and the Garo Hills Police in sealing the Assam Garo Hills border. An...

GUWAHATI, Dec 20 ? Faced with continued onslaught by the Bhutanese army, Nine North-East based insurgent outfits, including the ULFA, have decided to serve quit notice to Bhutanese nationals who had either settled in the north east region or had come here for business purposes, reports PTI. A resolution to this effect was passed at a meeting ULFA ?commander-in-chief? Paresh Baruah had with nine other N-E based insurgent groups in Dhaka, reports reaching here said today. They also discussed the situation arising out of the ongoing military operations against them in Bhutan.

GUWAHATI, Dec 20 ? Six of the Indian militants captured by the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) in its operation to dislodge the Indian militants? camps since December 15 were handed over to the State police at Tamulpur, this evening, police sources said. The militants include ULFA publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary and two others from the ULFA and three from the NDFB.

The RBA has captured a good number of militants belonging to the ULFA, NDFB and KLO in its drive against them. Besides Mithinga Daimary, the captured militants include ULFA armed wing leaders Bening Rabha and Robin Neog and NDFB...

SAMDRUP JONGKHAR, Dec 20? Following the crackdown by the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) on the insurgent camps in Bhutan, the business between the people of bordering villages in Nalbari district and Bhutan?s Samdrup Jongkhar district has been adversely affected as the daily and weekly markets of the areas have been closed since December 15 last.

Sources said here that the large Sunday weekly market of Bhutan?s Samdrup Jongkhar where the Bhutanese farmers sell their products like orange, potato etc., to Indian people has been cancelled due to the situation. ?As the Bhutan Royal Government sealed...

SAMDRUP JONGKHAR (BHUTAN), Dec 20 ? The drive against the NE Indian militants in Bhutan is purely a Bhutanese operation and there should not be any doubt of the involvement of the Indian Government in it. No doubt, the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGB) and the Government of India (GOI) are working in close consultation in matters of flushing out the militants, said Director, Foreign Ministry, RGB Yeshey Dorji here this noon while talking to The Assam Tribune.

The RGB was compelled by the rigid stand of the Indian militant outfits to leave the Bhutanese soil despite the attempts of the RGB for...

GUWAHATI, Dec 20 ? The 48-hour Assam, Boroland and Kamatapur bandh called by the banned ULFA, NDFB and KLO evoked mixed response and partially affected the life in the State today. There was no report of any untoward incident from any part of the State during the bandh period. The bandh which was called by the banned outfits in protest against the crackdown launched by Bhutanese Army on the camps of the ultras in Bhutan, failed to evoke any response in Barak Valley and the two hill districts in the State while it affected life partially in Brahmaputra valley with exception of Kokrajhar...

Guwahati/Delhi, Dec. 19: The Ulfa?s Bhutan experience turned more bitter with the surrender of senior member Robin Neog and the arrest of military strategist Bening Rabha. Assam police described the developments as ?crippling blows? to the outfit. Neog and Rabha, both ?majors?, are counted among the top guns of the Ulfa?s military wing, which is controlled by its commander-in-chief, Paresh Barua.

Their capture, one by accident and the other by design, followed the death of the seniormost member of the militant group, 88-year-old Bhimkanta Buragohian. He died almost immediately after...