logo
3 top ULFA-I leaders ‘killed' in Myanmar, Indian Army denies role as insurgent group alleges involvement

3 top ULFA-I leaders ‘killed' in Myanmar, Indian Army denies role as insurgent group alleges involvement

The Print13-07-2025
The group said that several camps, from the border with Myanmar near Longwa in Nagaland to Pangsai Pass in Arunachal Pradesh, were targeted between 2 am and 4 am Sunday.
The banned group, headed by Paresh Baruah, issued multiple statements Sunday, as reported by news agency PTI , claiming that its eastern headquarters in Myanmar had been targeted by the Indian Army with drones in the early hours. According to these statements, a total of 19 cadres have been killed and another 19 injured.
New Delhi: Three top leaders of banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) were 'killed' in Myanmar, following what it claimed were 'drone attacks' by the Indian Army, a charge flatly denied by the forces.
In the first statement, it said that the outfit's self-proclaimed Lieutenant General Nayan Medhi (alias Nayan Asom) had been killed. The next one said that fresh attacks were carried out during the last rites, in which self-styled Brigadier Ganesh Asom and Colonel Pradip Asom were killed.
'While the last rites of Nayan Asom were being carried out, missile attacks were carried out in which Ganesh Asom and Pradip Asom became martyrs and several officers, cadres and civilians sustained injuries,' read the statement, quoted by several Northeast-based media outlets.
However, the Indian Army has categorically denied any such operation. 'There are no inputs with the Indian Army on such an operation,' said Colonel M.S. Rawat, the Defence PRO (Public Relations Officer) in Guwahati.
ULFA-I differs from the pro-talks faction of the group and demands the inclusion of a sovereign Assam in any proposed talks.
The banned group claimed that the Indian Army used Israeli and French drones. India does not operate any French drones.
According to a report by Assamese news organisation Pratidin Time, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told media persons, 'Assam Police is not involved in this incident. There has been no strike from the soil of Assam.' He added that while the incident is being closely monitored, more information is needed before drawing conclusions.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: 3 crashes this year, 3 pilots lost. IAF's Jaguars, long retired everywhere else, back in spotlight
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Starmer says U.K. will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire
Starmer says U.K. will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire

The Hindu

time20 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Starmer says U.K. will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September – unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and takes steps toward long-term peace. Mr. Starmer called ministers together for a rare summertime Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza. He told them that Britain will recognize a state of Palestine before the United Nations General Assembly, 'unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two state solution." Britain has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, but has said recognition should come as part of a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict. Pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood has mounted since French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

Starmer says UK will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire
Starmer says UK will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire

New Indian Express

time20 minutes ago

  • New Indian Express

Starmer says UK will recognize Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire

LONDON: Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September – unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and takes steps toward long-term peace. Starmer called ministers together for a rare summertime Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza. He told them that Britain will recognize a state of Palestine before the United Nations General Assembly, 'unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two state solution." Britain has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, but has said recognition should come as part of a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict. Pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood has mounted since French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

'He is my hero': In this pocket of Paris, slain LTTE chief Prabhakaran still holds sway
'He is my hero': In this pocket of Paris, slain LTTE chief Prabhakaran still holds sway

New Indian Express

time32 minutes ago

  • New Indian Express

'He is my hero': In this pocket of Paris, slain LTTE chief Prabhakaran still holds sway

In some ways, the atmosphere here reminded me of Jackson Heights in New York city, a place I know intimately from over a decade of living there. Much like in the Queens borough of the city, people from South Asia come to this neighborhood in Paris to shop for groceries that are staples in Indian and Sri Lankan kitchens. The shelves are stocked with everything from curry leaves and dosa batter to jasmine garlands and incense sticks. My host in Paris mentioned that he often goes to the area for his haircut, a small but telling detail that echoes Jackson Heights, where many opt for the cheapest and most familiar barber in the city. Having witnessed and studied conflict areas for over two-decades now, I was cautious about how I framed my questions during this visit. Fortunately, I found a few ideal interlocutors. For instance, one was a Tamil-origin student from Mumbai, pursuing his Master's degree while working part-time. He offered not just linguistic help but cultural context, helping me navigate the food, the street conversations, and the layered silences of this unique diaspora pocket. Diasporas have long memories. Unlike those living in conflict zones who must make daily compromises with the reality of power, diasporic communities can afford to preserve unyielding narratives. Removed from the immediate pressures of the post-war reconciliation process, many Tamils abroad continue to see Prabhakaran not through the prism of terrorism or militarism, but as a symbol. This veneration plays out most visibly during Tamil national remembrance days like Maaveerar Naal (Great Heroes' Day), held on November 27, the day Prabhakaran's birthday is also commemorated. In cities like Toronto, London, and Paris, these events draw thousands, with children dressed in Tiger uniforms and speeches calling for Eelam (a separate Tamil homeland). Is this freedom of expression or the glorification of violence? Are these posters an innocent homage to a fallen leader or a provocation that risks reopening wounds? The French government, like many European states, has a complicated relationship with diaspora politics. On the one hand, France prides itself on its republican values namely liberté, égalité, fraternité and its secular tolerance of diverse cultural expressions. On the other hand, it is also a country increasingly uneasy with displays of identity that challenge its unitary conception of citizenship. In 2006, France banned the LTTE as a terrorist organization, aligning with the EU designation. Tamil political activism in France, from peaceful demonstrations to lobbying for war crimes investigations, has largely been tolerated. At times, French officials have even offered quiet sympathy for the Tamil cause, especially in the aftermath of the brutal final months of the war in 2009, during which the Sri Lankan army was accused of shelling no-fire zones and killing civilians en masse. Another interlocutor from Tamil Nadu whom I met informed me that one need to see the imagery here in a particular context. There is a deeper issue, however, that is not legal but moral. For many Tamil families of Sri Lanka in Paris, these posters are a form of justice denied. The UN has acknowledged credible allegations of war crimes committed by both the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE. But progress toward accountability has been glacial. Successive Sri Lankan governments have promised and then shelved mechanisms for truth and reconciliation. As I wrapped up my nearly three-hour walk through the neighborhood, I paused at the metro station and gathered the courage to ask a direct question to a young passerby who seemed to have Tamil roots from Sri Lanka. When I inquired about the Prabhakaran posters, he responded simply, 'He is my hero and this is what I know.' His tone was firm yet cautious, and he appeared unwilling to elaborate further. That brief exchange reflected the silence that so often surrounds deeply polarizing memories. In the heart of Paris, beneath the image of a slain LTTE supremo and the man widely believed to have masterminded the assassination of a former Indian Prime Minister, the struggle for Tamil identity, and the complex, unresolved legacies of South Asia's violent past, quietly endures. (The author has worked for 25 years as a practitioner, researcher and analyst on conflict areas and violent extremism issues.)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store