Insurgency / Assam

GUWAHATI, Feb 24— Four hardcore militants belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were killed in a two-hour-long gun-battle with the Army and police near the famous Stilwell Road inside the Tinkopani Reserve Forest under Lekhapani police station of Tinsukia district today. One Armyman also received bullet injuries but he is reported to be out of danger. The Superintendent of Police of Tinsukia district, Sri A J Baruah, giving details of the incident, said that the movement of the security forces along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border areas was increased following reports...

GUWAHATI, Feb 20 — If any organisation or individual comes forward to mediate with the militants to bring them to the negotiation table, the State Government will extend all possible help and cooperation, said the Chief Minister, Sri Tarun Gogoi. Talking to The Assam Tribune, the Chief Minister said that the State Government, on its part, is not interested in directly engaging any organisation on individual to mediate with the militants as the militants might doubt the credibility of any Government sponsored organisation or individual. He admitted that non-Government organisations played a...

NEW DELHI, Feb 13 — Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Kerala cadre today took over as the new Director General of the National Security Guard. A highly decorated officer, Sri Mooshahary, prior to his latest assignment, was the Director General of Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau in Kerala. Recipient of the President’s Police Medal for meritorious service, he has the distinction of being the first Bodo IPS officer from Assam. This apart, he is also the first IPS officer belonging to the North-east to hold the office of the DG NSG.

GUWAHATI, Feb 8 – The Army has denied involvement in the rape case at Nayamati under Misamari police station as reported in a section of the Press recently. A Defence press release said here that the charge is an attempt to tarnish the image of the Army in the eyes of public. The release further said that on February 4 one Betet Koch was apprehended by the Army for possession of illegal arms following which a group of local Bodo women approached the army for his release, failing which they threatened to lodge a rape charge. It is a nefarious design of the militants to malign the image of the...

DIBRUGARH, Feb 8 — Just days before Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) services of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was to start off in Assam, the defence and frequency allocation mandarins have decided that the facility has to be kept under wraps in the State. The reason? These “specialists” think that the militants would use the technology for subterfuge! Before going into a bit of a detail, it would be pertinent here to note that the Government of India had declared earlier that all the villages of the country would be linked by telephones by March 2002. Given the dismal track record of...

GUWAHATI, Feb 7 — The Adivasi Cobra Militant of Assam, a militant group operating in lower Assam, has extended its unilateral ceasefire following a discussion with the Chief Minister, Sri Tarun Gogoi. The militant group which was constituted in 1996 to protect the Adivasi people living in several camps of lower Assam, had announced an unilateral ceasefire on September 15, 2001.

Addressing a joint press conference here today, the self-styled chairman and commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of the militant outfit Xabrias Khalha and Kanhu Murmu respectively said that the State Government had assured all...

TEZPUR, Feb 6 — The alleged rape of a 25-year-old woman by Army jawans during a search operation has created a furore is the human right circles of Sonitpur district. According to sources, the troops of 13 Rajput Regiment stationed at Missamari Cantonment in Sonitpur district during a raid on February 3, allegedly raped the woman, who had given birth to a baby 15 days ago, after severely beating her husband Pettern Rajbongshi of Nayamati under Missamari Police Station. The alleged victim was examined at Tezpur Kanaklata Civil Hospital and her statement was recorded by a magistrate. Meanwhile...

NEW DELHI, Feb 5 – Rifts have surfaced in the ruling Congress party in Assam, with a section of leaders lodging complaints with the party high command against a section of senior leaders alleging their involvement with SULFA men in running coal syndicates. With the uncertainty over the next expansion lingering and three Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant, restless Congressmen have begun to mount campaigns against one another, so much so that at least two delegations of Congressmen in the recent past have met the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, to complaint about the alleged nexus between...

GUWAHATI, Feb 5 — To cope with the changing scenario where insurgents are coming up with more and more sophisticated weapons, the Assam police has come up with new methods of training and commando training has been introduced for policemen from the ranks of sub-inspectors to constables. The Inspector General of Police (Training and Armed Police), Sri B P Rao told The Assam Tribune that the training curriculum needs to be amended regularly to cope with the changing scenario. He said that the Bureau of Police Research and Development is of the view that since the police forces have to maintain...

GUWAHATI, Feb 4 : The security agencies apprehend more acts of violence by militants belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) in the days to come. Security sources told this correspondent here today that according to information available, the NDFB may step up its acts of violence to thwart the move to create the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) as the outfit is the view that it would be isolated if the BTC is formed. Sources said that some movement of the NDFB militants were reported along the areas boarding Bhutan, but it...