GUWAHATI, August 21: Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed Islamic militant outfits like the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have set up strong bases in Dhaka to launch their operations in the northeastern region of India, police sources said here. The police came to know about the bases of the Islamic militant outfits in Dhaka following the recent arrest of four ISI agents in Guwahati and more than 20 Harkat-ul-Mujahideen militants from different parts of Assam. According to information gathered by the security forces so far, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen had established a strong base in a...

CALCUTTA, August 20: The killing of the general secretary of the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, Dali Mungro, yesterday is a major blow to both peace in the state and the moves for unity among different rebel groups. The stronger group -NSCN(Isak-Muivah)- has openly claimed responsibility for the killing of Mungro and two of his comrades at Jotsoma village, about 8 km from the capital town of Kohima, Today, an NSCN(IM) leader, however, said over the phone from Dimapur that "the order was to capture him (Mungro) alive but he was shot when he tried to escape."...

NEW DELHI, August 20, 1999: The allies of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) have condemned outright the killing of its general secretary Dali Mungro. The Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF) president, Ranjit Debbarma, offered its "deep sympathies" to the NSCN(K), the Naga people and the bereaved family of the leader. Debbarma, in a statement made available to this e-zine, said his organisation would remember the efforts of Mungro towards unity of all revolutionary organisations of the region. The "cowardly" assassination of Mungro is sure to lead the process into rough...

AGARTALA, August 20: The Congress in Tripura is heading for a virtual split with its top leader and former chief minister Sudhir Ranjan Mazumder joining the Trinamul Congress headed by Mamata Banerjee. Mazumder, also a former Pradesh Congress Committee president and Rajya Sabha member, told newsmen here on Friday that Banerjee had appointed him as the chairman of the Trinamul Congress' Tripura unit. The names of other leaders of the state unit would be announced soon, he said. "I have been associated with the Congress since 1960. I remained a true Congressman though many leaders left the party...

GUWAHATI, August 20: Even as security forces are striving to contain militancy in Assam as well as in the other Northeast states, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) have consolidated their bases in Myanmar. According to a confessional statement made by a senior ULFA member of the Morigaon district, over 100 ULFA members are undergoing training in different NSCN(K) camps in Myanmar. The Kachin-trained member who was arrested by the Morigaon police recently, said that these camps are located in dense forests in Myanmar. It takes...