Politics / Northeast

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.

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...

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...

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...