GUWAHATI, Dec 30 ? The crackdown by the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) inflicted heavy loss to militant outfits ? the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) ? both in terms of loss of cadres and weapons while more and more cadres of the outfits are still being arrested or have surrendered before the security forces.
Police sources said that so far, 170 ULFA cadres, who either surrendered or were arrested have been handed over to the police in different parts of Assam since the RBA crackdown began on December 15. Altogether 27 children of the ULFA cadres have been handed over to the police after they were brought to India from the camps in Bhutan. Police said that 18 NDFB cadres have also been handed over to police after they were arrested. Prominent among the ULFA members handed over to the police include the ideologue and political adviser of the outfit, Bhimkanta Buragohain alias Mama, and publicity secretary Mithinga Daimari alias Dipak Das.
The RBA crackdown also resulted in heavy loss of weapons including sophisticated weapons. The weapons handed over to the police after those were seized from the ultras include 51 AK-47 rifles, 50 AK-56 rifles, six pistols, seven UMGs, 12 wireless sets, 42 hand grenades, two snipper rifles, two RPG launchers, 13 RPGs, more than 9600 rounds of ammunition, five mines, 70 plastic explosives and cash amounting to more than Rs 4.10 lakh.
A number of militants were also killed while trying to sneak into Assam from their bases in Bhutan after the RBA crackdown as the security measures along the Assam-Bhutan border have been intensified following the crackdown to prevent the militants from sneaking into Assam. According to records available with the police, 11 ULFA, four NDFB and one Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) militants were killed in encounters with the security forces in the territory of Assam since the RBA crackdown began.
Meanwhile, security sources said that some more weapons seized by the RBA from the camps of the ultras would be handed over to the police shortly. Sources pointed out that the crackdown by the RBA had a demoralising effect on the lower and middle level cadres of the militant outfits as they were left to fend for themselves by the top leaders under trying conditions in the jungles of Bhutan. The offer of the Government of Assam to grant amnesty to the militants who surrender before January 31 would also result in more surrenders, sources added.
Security sources said that it would be very difficult for the ULFA to regain its striking power due to the loss suffered in terms of cadres and weapons and the leaders of the outfit would have a tough time in boosting the morale of the lower and middle level cadres. All the camps in Bhutan have been busted , which in turn, will reduce the striking capability of the militants. It would be impossible for the ultras to set up new bases in Bhutan as the Assam-Bhutan border, which was totally open at one point of time, will now be guarded by the SSB personnel and the Government of Bhutan, on its part, will also never allow the militants to set up new bases in that country, sources pointed out.
Commenting on the reports of crackdown against the ULFA by the Government of Bangladesh, sources said that though a five-member group of the militant outfit was arrested in Dhaka recently, it remains to be seen whether the Bangladesh Government launches a full-scale operation against the militants. The top leaders of the ULFA are still in Bangladesh and ?so far the Government of Bangladesh has been denying the presence of the ultra camps in the territory of the country. The Bangladesh Government is under pressure to take action against the militants taking shelter in the country and the arrest of five militants may be a mere eyewash.?
The ULFA also has strong bases in Myanmar and launches most of its operations in the upper Assam districts from those bases and so far the Government of Myanmar has not taken any step to evict them. The Government of India has initiated a move to deploy Assam Rifles personnel to guard the Indo-Myanmar border to prevent the militants from sneaking into India from the neighbouring country, but security sources admitted that full deployment of Assam Rifles along the international boundary would take some time.