GUWAHATI, Jan 31 – The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) have come to an agreement to launch joint operations against the security forces, highly-placed official sources disclosed today. The sources further said that the leadership of the militant outfits had signed an agreement before the Republic Day to launch joint operations and collect funds in some selected pockets of the State. “The modus operandi of the outfits came to light following the arrest of ULFA members. During questioning they (ULFA members) revealed that ULFA had also agreed to provide training to the UPDS cadres in Bhutan camps”, sources added.
Giving more information about the tactics adopted by the two militant groups, the sources added the UPDS would provide shelter to the ULFA members in Karbi Anglong district. After the agreement, the ULFA has started consolidating its base in bordering areas of Karbi Anglong district, sources said, adding that a 10-member group of the ULFA is now operating in the district to collect funds from the people. It may be mentioned here that the UPDS and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim Issac Muivah (NSCN-IM) used to collect funds jointly for which the former had to pay a lion’s share to the NSCN(IM), but due to skirmishes among the leaders, the agreement had suffered a setback last year. After that development, the UPDS improved its relation with the ULFA for undergoing arms training.
The sources, however said that the UPDS is still maintaining cordial relations with the NSCN(K) faction. “According to reports, a new platform has been constituted by the NSCN-K in association with the ULFA, UPDS, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Dima Halong Daugah (DHD) in order to carry forward their armed movement”, sources added. On spurt in activities of the militant groups of the State they expressed the view that the militant groups are facing severe funds crisis and hence the leadership is now trying to collect funds. The ULFA has issued extortion notices to the people of upper Assam districts and vigilance has been stepped up accordingly, they added.
Asked about the growing activities of the militant group along the Indo-Burma border, the sources said that after the Bhutan Government’s pressure, the militant outfit had shifted several of its camps in the area. “The ULFA has of late set up as many as three new camps with 100 odd cadres along with the Indo-Burma border in association with the NSCN-K” the sources said, adding that the new strategy had been adopted by the leadership in a bid to cross over to Burma. The sources stated that in view of increase in activities of the ULFA, the security forces have intensified their operations to curb the militants’ activities. During the last couple of months several encounters took place in the Dibru-Soikhowa forest area for which more security personnel have been deployed to contain them, they added.