Insurgency / Assam

TEZPUR, Dec 19 ? Lt Gen Mohinder Singh, general officer commanding (GOC), 4 Corps and the operational head of the unified command structure categorically denied that the Indian Army is involved or helping the Royal Government of Bhutan to flush out the North-east based militants from the Himalayan kingdom after the Royal Bhutanese Army began its operations since Monday last.

Talking to the media persons here at the Garrison headquarters here after 89 militants laid down their arms and join the mainstream, General Singh said so far he has no information regarding the operation in Bhutan but...

GUWAHATI, Dec 19? The Gauhati High Court today admitted a Habeas Corpus petition, filed on behalf of Mithinga Daimary, alias Dipak Das, the publicity secretary of the banned ULFA and has directed that if he is in the custody of the Indian Army, as has been alleged, he should be produced before a magistrate at the earliest. The Division Bench of Justice D Biswas and Justice AH Saikia has also directed that if medical aid is needed for the detenue, the same should also be provided to him.

The Habeas Corpus petition was filed by Nitul Kachari, Daimary?s brother, who stated that the Royal Bhutan...

NALBARI, Dec 19 ? Following the Bhutan Government?s crack down on the ULFA camps in the Himalayan Kingdom, anxious families of the about 200 ULFA members of Nalbari district are spending sleepless nights for the past five days. All these ULFA members are now holed up in the Bhutan camps of the outlawed militant organisation. The outfit has the highest number of cadres recruited from Nalbari district. The members of these ULFA cadres? families in different parts of the district are now anxiously waiting for the safe return of their estranged boys and girls, who have joined the outfit in the...

NEW DELHI, Dec 19 ? The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGB) has handed over a batch of seven ultras belonging to the ULFA, NDFB and KLO even as the Government of India has made a request to the RGB to take special care of the women and children captured during its operation against the NE ultras on its soil. The RGB last evening handed over a batch of seven ultras belonging to the ULFA, NDFB and KLO, while more batches are expected to be handed over shortly, Army Chief General NC Vij disclosed here today.

Meanwhile, according to highly placed sources here, women and children in custody of the...

New Delhi, Dec. 18: Troops of the Royal Bhutan Army are surrounding and engaging insurgents from India?s northeast in their camps in southern Bhutan and avoiding close-quarters combat, according to an assessment made in the Indian security establishment.

The military operation is the first of its kind undertaken by the Indian Army-trained Bhutan troops.

They have taken casualties and Indian Army and air force helicopters are evacuating them to military hospitals. On Wednesday, the helicopters flew six sorties to Calcutta, presumably ferrying casualties to the command hospital.

Sources in the...

GUWAHATI, Dec 18 ? Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today appealed to all militant outfits to shun violence and come forward for talks for peaceful solution of their problems. Replying to a zero hour discussion in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said that the State Government was informed by the Centre immediately after the Bhutan Government launched an offensive to evict the militants camping in the Himalayan Kingdom in the wee hours of December 15. He said that the Centre also asked the State Government to seal the Assam-Bhutan border to prevent the militants from sneaking into the State.

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SAMDRUP JONGKHAR, Dec 18? Bhutan today rejected a ceasefire call by ULFA and vowed to go ahead with the ongoing ?short but decisive? military operation till the end result of flushing the Indian insurgents out of its soil was achieved, reports PTI. Amidst reports of over 120 insurgents, including the chief of Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) Jiban Singha killed and over 500 captured, in the operation that continued for the fourth day, Bhutan accused the Indian insurgent groups of ULFA, NDFB and KLO of violating its sovereignty and said ?as long as they are here, they pose a threat to...

Guwahati, Dec. 17: The Assam police intelligence network today worked overtime to ascertain if the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) publicity secretary B. Irakdao was also among the militant heavyweights ?captured? in Bhutan but drew a blank till late this evening.

There is no confirmation yet about reports doing the rounds that the NDFB leader has been picked up,? a top Assam police official said.

However, the NDFB, which has remained silent ever since the Royal Bhutan Army launched its offensive against them and the Ulfa in Bhutan, today issued a statement to the press.

The...

GUWAHATI, Dec 17 ? The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) today requested the Royal Government of Bhutan to stop the offensive against it as it may create enmity between Bodo and Bhutanese people. In a press statement, Major B Susranggra, Chief of Staff of Bodoland Army of the NDFB said the Royal Government must never think of the Bodos as the enemy of Bhutan. The Bodos shall always uphold the age-old friendly relations with the Bhutanese, he said, adding, the NDFB, ULFA and KLO cadres have no ill-motives against the sovereignty of Bhutan. Major Susranggra said the last round of...

NEW DELHI, Dec 17 ? Irked by repeated charges by Congress MPs about delay in despatch of additional forces, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Swami Chindmayanand held that Assam Government failed to make proper utilisation of available forces and there was delay in mobilisation of army. The repeated accusation by Congress MPs that Centre did not act on repeated request by Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi who wrote 14 letters to Deputy Prime Minister, LK Advani infuriated the Minister of State, who countered that the State Government did not even properly utilise the forces it had at its disposal...