No retaliation expected from ULFA-I, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
said that there was no information on the claim made by the outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent)that their camps along the
Indo-Myanmar border
were attacked. He said that he does not foresee any retaliatory action from the ULFA.
Sarma while talking to media persons on Tuesday said, 'Assam government has information on any strike till now. The Government of India has not informed us regarding any strike. Whatever we have learnt we learnt from the statement of Paresh Baruah.'
He said that
Assam police
are neither involved nor aware about this. 'When we contacted the government of India, they also said that they have no information.'
The chief minister said, 'I do not think that there will be any retaliation from ULFA. He (Baruah) is from Assam. If a bomb is exploded it will destroy Assam's land or school or road. They are supposedly fighting for Assam's good so why will they attack here. Retaliation here will mean breaking our own house.'
He added, 'Assam is not only my home but their home too. Why will they attack their own home. Drone bomb was not triggered by the Assamese people. Attacking here will mean attacking us.'
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Proscribed militant ULFA- Independent claimed that at least three senior soldiers were killed, and 19 others were injured after the Indian Army launched a massive operation along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The Army however claimed that it had not carried out any such operation. Defence sources said, 'no inputs with Indian Army on such operation.'
ULFA (Independent) also known as the anti-talk faction of ULFA in a statement stated, 'Indian Army had launched drone attacks between Longwa in Indo -Myanmar border near Nagaland to Pangsau Pass along the international border near Arunachal Pradesh. The attack took place between 2 am to 4 am on Sunday. The outfit claimed that there was another attack later in the day on Sunday. The mobile camps of the banned outfit and RPF/PLA camps are affected severely as the Indian forces have dropped about 150 bombs in the entire area using drones made in Israel and France'.
The outfit is led by chief Paresh Barua. He has remained elusive over the years. Sources in intelligence agencies said'ULFA might carry out retaliatory strike or sabotage activities in the run up to Independence Day celebration in Assam. Traditionally ULFA has used these days to make their presence felt. The anti-talk faction of ULFA has claimed it has planted bombs in 24 locations of Assam as a mark of protest to the
Independence Day celebrations
last year.'
Initially banned in 1990, ULFA's prohibition has been periodically renewed, with the latest extension declared on November 27, 2024. The MHA, in its notification, stated that ULFA had continued its efforts to separate Assam from India, perpetrating criminal activities such as bombings and the illegal possession of arms. Between November 2019 and July 2024, ULFA was linked to 16 criminal cases, including the use of explosives ahead of Independence Day 2024.
The outfit is the only major outfit in Northeast India which is out of the peace talks with the government.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Gaurav Gogoi said, " This strike cannot happen without the knowledge of Himanta Biswa Sarma. The chief minister has on a number of occasions claimed that he is in touch with Paresh Baruah so it is not possible that Sarma does not know about the drone strike. The union home ministry will never take such a decision without consulting the Assam chief minister. This is a rerun of the dark days of secret killing in Assam."
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