Operation Rhino-II (Assam CI Ops)
Anti-insurgency operations by the army, paramilitary, and police forces in the state of Assam since 1992 are termed Operation Rhino-II. Operation Rhino I (1991-92) was suspended by the state government when it initiated talks with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in early 1992. The original insurgency, caused by the unchecked immigration of Bangladeshis, and the connivance of certain political parties in their illegal acquisition of land, voting rights, and ration cards has morphed into senseless terrorism. Practically every ethnic group in Assam has formed an armed militia to fight for its rights (including the Bangladeshi immigrants). All insurgent groups have foreign links, patronage, and bases, where their leaders have evolved into wealthy businessmen while the cadres are recruited from among unemployed youth who sustain themselves through extortion.
Orbat:
The Eastern Command headquartered at Calcutta, comprising three army corps, is responsible for securing India’s borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal, and Myanmar. The 4 Corps headquartered at Tezpur comprises three mountain divisions and an artillery brigade—the sub-units of these formations are spread across Arunachal Pradesh, Upper Assam (the Brahmaputra valley), and Meghalaya. The 4 Corps works under a unified civil-military command structure to fight insurgency alongside the police and paramilitary forces.
Major Events (Year 2004):
(See detailed map http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/images/maps/bigmap/Assam.jpg)
1. Jan 01 The North East Tribune: Brig SN Sethia, Commander of 41 Sub Area along with Dr Ravi Kota, DC Jorhat and PC Saloi, SP Jorhat accepted the surrender of sixteen hardcore militants. The militants include fifteen members of ULFA and one of Muslim Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA). Six security personnel sustained serious injuries when militants belonging to the banned ULFA ambushed a team of Indian Reserve Police Battalion in Assam’s Goalpara district.
2. Jan 02 The Assam Tribune: One battalion of the ULFA is located in Myanmar and the outfit launches most of its operations in the Upper Assam districts from the bases in the neighbouring country. Government of India has decided to entrust the job of guarding the India-Myanmar border to the Assam Rifles, but the full deployment would take some time.
3. Jan 03 Hindustan Times: Seven NDFB militants flushed out from Bhutan have surrendered to a joint team of police, army and CRPF in Kokrajhar district of Assam. The Assam Tribune: Gen Vij observed that after the reverses suffered at the hands of the RBA which has done a splendid job, it would be difficult for the banned ULFA, NDFB and the KLO to regroup in Bhutan again. New Delhi drew the attention of the Chinese embassy to media reports about a letter addressed to the Chinese Government by the ULFA requesting safe passage through its territory to escape the operations being carried out against them by the Royal Bhutan Army.
4. Jan 04 The Assam Tribune: a joint police-CRPF team recovered two M-20 pistols, one 9 mm pistol and 22 rounds of live bullets from a makeshift camp used by suspected ULFA extremists along the Assam-Nagaland border at Koliapani Bahalting under Teok PS.
5. Jan 06 The North East Tribune: Bangladesh government has decided to make the ongoing crackdown against militants more intense while red alert has been sounded along the Myanmar border to prevent infiltration of Indian militants incase of an arms operation by Myanmarese army.
6. Jan 07 The Assam Tribune: Assam Government intends to complete construction of roads and barbed wire fencing along the Indo-Bangla border within the State by the end of the year 2006. Both Assam Rifles and Nagaland Police have confirmed that some ULFA militants had sneaked into Nagaland following the ‘Operation All Clear’ by Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) as the outfit had close links with NSCN(K)
7. Jan 08 The North East Tribune: ULFA militants this evening gunned down a businessman, Mahesh Agarwal, in upper Assam's Jorhat district. The victim reportedly received a demand note of rupees 4 lakhs from the outfit and inability to pay cost Mr Agarwal his life.
8. Jan 09 The North East Tribune: ULFA attacked a police outpost situated 25 km away from Goalpara town near Assam-Meghalaya border injuring three Assam police personnel.
9. Jan 13 The Assam Tribune: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup today remanded ULFA ideologue and political adviser Bhimkanta Buragohain alias Mama to police custody for three more days. Bhimkanta was arrested by the Royal Bhutan Army on December 19 and later handed over to the Army. The Special operations Unit of the Assam Police requested the Court to remand Bhimkanta to police custody for seven more days for facilitating recovery of weapons and extorted money of the ULFA.
10. Jan 15 The Assam Tribune: Seven National Democratic Front for Bodoland (NDFB) militants surrendered before the SP Kokrajhar Vijoy Krishna in a jungle near Indo-Bhutan border. The ultras deposited one AK-47, one US carbine, one 9 mm pistol, five grenades, and two satellite phones.
11. Jan 16 The North East Tribune: Indian Army will continue its vigil along the Indo-Bhutan border against any move by fleeing ultras to reenter that country, Lt-Gen J S Verma GoC-in-C Eastern Command, said in Kolkata on the sidelines of the Army day celebrations. He expressed hope that with the decisions taken at the recent Islamabad SAARC summit and the RBA's direct action against the ultras, Bangladesh too would take steps against Indian militants carrying on their activities from camps on that country's soil.
12. Jan 17 The North East Tribune: ULFA militants blew up the pipeline at Mamorani under Digboi police station disrupting oil supply between Digboi refinery and Tinsukia Terminal. In a second incident, two pipelines were blown off at Gutibor in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district this morning.
13. Jan 18 The Sentinel (Assam): Two NDFB militants, R. Mwndangthi and Maokhang Narzary, surrendered before the Garubhas police in Kokrajhar district today. An NDFB ‘corporal’ Prafulla Basumatary (25) surrendered before the Bismuri police outpost. Two other cadres, Dutan Narzary alias Poshim and B. Mwsrwmjati alias Mynna surrendered today at Serfanguri Army camp.
14. Jan 19 The Sentinel (Assam): police and CRPF personnel gheraoed the residence of Kandu Roy of Kaimari village, where a gang of ULFA militants were reportedly taking shelter. The ULFA militants opened fire at the police team, which was immediately retaliated. In the encounter, three ULFA men sustained bullet injuries but managed to escape. Nine cadres of the NDFB including two top leaders yesterday laid down their arms before the police in Kokrajhar.
15. Jan 20 The North East Tribune: a group of 10 UPDS (anti-talks) militants gunned down five surrendered United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS represents the Karbi people) militants killing four on the spot and grievously injuring another at Rangdubi Reserve Forest. NDFB received yet another blow when 28 of its members under the leadership of G Gawjwnsa, B Sufungra, and G D Riding surrendered before V K Ranisetti, SP Kokrajhar.
16. Jan 21 Hindustan Times: Buoyed by the Bhutan Government’s action against militants taking shelter there, northeastern states on Wednesday demanded similar steps vis-à-vis Bangladesh and Myanmar to "close down and demolish" the camps of militants in those countries. The Chief Ministers from Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura, who presented a memorandum to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in this regard, said the 1,880 km border with Bangladesh should be fenced immediately. The Assam Tribune: Militants of the banned ULFA exploded a bomb to damage the Shalmari-Moran crude oil pipeline belonging to Oil India Limited (OIL).
17. Jan 22 The Assam Tribune: The recent announcement of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that all people living in the Char areas of the State would be provided land patta has come in for sharp criticism from the All Assam Students Union (AASU), which has termed it as yet another ploy of the Congress Government to safeguard the Bangladeshi vote bank. The North East Tribune: ULFA triggered an IED damaging the two security vehicles that were traveling from Balijana CRPF camp to Damas. It is also being suspected that ANVC had helped the ULFA in carrying out the blast.
18. Jan 24 The North East Tribune: ULFA and NDFB received a serious jolt when 33 cadres surrendered before army officials in Udalguri today. Major General M S Rathod, GOC Fireball division has launched a campaign urging the militants to surrender.
19. Jan 25 The North East Tribune: The Operation Freedom group consisting of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Tripura Peoples Democratic Front (TPDF) and Manipur Peoples Liberation Front (MPLF) today claimed responsibility for the subversive activities carried out in Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya to highlight the Regional Boycott of the Republic Day. United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) triggered another IED blast at Tikripara in West Garo hills district on Thursday night and critically injured three personnel of the CRPF’s 53rd battalion.
20. Jan 26 The North East Tribune: two NDFB men were shot dead by army personnel on the bank of Kalanadi in Nalbari district.
21. Jan 27 The North East Tribune: In Assam, breaking the shackles of fear psychosis Guwahatians gathered in the Judges Field to witness and celebrate Republic day. The event commenced with the procession from all educational institutions to the Judges Field and the showering of petals from the Indian Air Force, followed by the ceremonial flag hoisting by the Governor of Assam Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh.
22. Jan 29 The North East Tribune: Four ULFA militants were killed by the army at Pahari Basti area under Tamulpur Police Station in Nalbari district.
23. Feb 01 The North East Tribune: 156 ULFA and NDFB militants including five women cadres surrendered to Lieutenant General Anup Singh Jamwal, GOC Gajraj Corps (4 Corps) at a rehabilitation Ceremony organised by the Red Horns Division of Army at Tamulpur in Nalbari district.
24. Feb 05 The Hindu: The Royal Bhutan Government handed over 27 children, in the age group of two to 12 years, on December 24 following operation "All Clear" in which 30 camps of ULFA, the NDFB and the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation were destroyed. The Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, on December 30 announced that the Government would take full care of these children and provide them better education and health care.
25. Feb 06 The Assam Tribune: The State Government has decided to extend further the deadline for general amnesty for militants willing to surrender. The earlier deadline had expired on January 31 resulting in the surrender of over 400 ultras.
26. Feb 08 The North East Tribune: The Borholla police apprehended five ULFA extremists, two of them female cadres, as they were trying to cross over to Nagaland last night in a Maruti van along the Assam-Nagaland border.
27. Feb 10 The North East Tribune: twelve ULFA cadres including a few senior members laid down arms in front of the Nalbari deputy commissioner, K C Samaria as a fall out of Bhutan operations.
28. Feb 12 The Assam Tribune: Three NDFB militants surrendered before the Army in Kokrajhar district yesterday bringing to 51 the total number of surrenders in the district since December 15 last.
29. Feb 13 The North East Tribune: three Kuki militants were killed after army personnel prevented a bid to ambush a patrol party by militants at Saizung in Karbi Anglong district last night. In another incident, personnel of J & K light infantry aborted an ambush attempt by militants and killed three militants at Peshing on Assam-Meghalaya border.
30. Feb 20 The Assam Tribune: Bhutan today said that its Royal Army was still combing the kingdom's southern part bordering West Bengal to complete the flush-out of militants.
31. Feb 25 The Assam Tribune: Twelve hardcore NDFB militants today surrendered before army authorities in a simple function at the Red Horns Artillery Brigade at Hatigor in the Darrang district. Two ULFA militants and a surrendered ULFA man were killed in an encounter with Army at Chamatiapara village under Barama police station in Nalbari district. The North East Tribune: Army operation team raided an ULFA hideout in the jungles at Badengre in West Khasi hill district. Major Samrat Maiti of the Naga Regiment was killed in the encounter. Two ULFA militants died on the spot.
32. Feb 27 The Sentinel (Assam): In a fresh bid to bring the militants to the mainstream, the State Government has extended the period of “general amnesty” to all the rebel groups, including the ULFA, the NDFB, the UPDS and the DHD, till March 31.
33. Feb 28 The Assam Tribune: Security forces killed four ULFA ultras in Padumani village under Mahadebpur PS in Arunachal Pradesh.
34. Mar 02 The Sentinel (Assam): Troops of Red Shield Division apprehended two UNLF militants recently. The Army also recovered incriminating documents from their possession. The militants were handed over to Lakhipur police station by the Army authorities.
35. Mar 04 The Assam Tribune: Army troops last night killed four hardcore ULFA militants during an encounter at Tepkilobana, in Kamrup district. An AK-56 rifle with two magazines and 14 live rounds, a Draganov sniper rifle with a magazine and 18 live rounds, a pistol with a magazine and four live rounds, four Chinese grenades, incriminating documents and some currency was recovered from the spot. The Assam Government has requested the Centre to take up measures like raising of River Police Battalion, remodeling of the Indo-Bangladesh border fencing on the lines of the Punjab border and issuance of multipurpose national identity cards to check illegal infiltration, said the Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh today.
36. Mar 05 The Assam Tribune: ULFA militants, taking shelter at the house of one Amarendra Nath at Singabil under Sarbhog police station, were suddenly attacked by the joint group of 16th CRPF battalion and Assam Police. Following the encounter, one unidentified ultra was killed on the spot, while Sri Jagtar Singh (32) of CRPF and Maheswar Basumatary (23) of Assam Police died on the spot.
37. Mar 09 The Assam Tribune: ULFA extremists exploded a bomb in a goods train between Bhojo and Safrai Railway stations in Sivasagar district.
38. Mar 12 The Sentinel (Assam): Tension continues to mount along the Assam-Nagaland border here as recent information confirms the construction of about seven hovels by the Nagas beside the Kasojan stream at Panikheti in the Dessoi Valley region in Assam. The Assam Tribune: police party led by SP Rana Bhuyan conducted a search operation in Bheloguri-Baghara hill last night and recovered a 28 kg live time bomb from the Golcheba hillock.
39. Mar 15 The Assam Tribune: The Manab Adhikar Sangram Samity (MASS), a human rights organisation of the state, has launched an international campaign to force the Bhutan Government to come out clean on the fate of at least 18 ULFA cadres, who are “missing” since the Royal Bhutan Army’s ‘Operation All Clear’ was launched in mid-December.
40. Mar 16 The Sentinel (Assam): security personnel of Dah Mountain Division, stationed at Panbari, Bokakhat apprehended one Surja Patra, an ULFA cadre and one Roop Saikia, a SULFA member recently at Ghiladhari, Golaghat district. There are more than 90 camps belonging to militant outfits like the ULFA, NDFB, and the ATTF in Bangladesh. This was revealed by the Additional Director General of the BSF Sultan Iftikar Syed Ahmed who was on a two day whirlwind tour of North Bengal and Assam. One dreaded ULFA militant, Paritosh Bhakat surrendered on Saturday before the police and CRPF personnel at Kaimari Pat VI. The Assam Tribune: Bhutanese Army has launched a large-scale combing operation in its dense forests to flush out remnants of insurgents groups like ULFA, NDFB and KLO, 30 camps of which were smashed and destroyed in military action in December last.
41. Mar 18 The Assam Tribune: One militant was killed and a huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered by the army in Assam's North Cachar Hills district. The North East Tribune: The cross border militancy in North East India received a major jolt when five top militants including one Harkat Ul Mujahidin militant Md. Moinul Haque Chaudhury and Nileshwar Basumatary, finance secretary of NDFB laid down arms before Khagen Sarma, IGP (SB) of Assam police. The Sentinel (Assam): The District Magistrate, Bongaigaon by an order under Section 144 CrPC has prohibited movement of any person or persons within five kilometres along Indo-Bhutan border.
42. Mar 20 The Assam Tribune: ULFA militants today blasted an ONGC crude oil pipeline in upper Assam's Sibsagar district supplying crude to the Numaligarh Refinery in nearby Golaghat district.
43. Mar 24 The Times of India: at least 13 people have been killed in a clash between Karbi and Kuki communities in the Assam's hill district of Karbi Anglong on Tuesday night. Deputy inspector general of police (special branch) Jyotirmoy Chakravarty told TNN that the clashes took place in two remote villages in Dilai police outpost area under Bokajan police station.
44. Mar 28 The Hindu: Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) militants struck again during the wee hours today, killing five villagers and set fire to at least 50 houses in five Karbi villages under Bokajan police station in Karbi Anglong district.
45. Mar 29 The Sentinel (Assam): troops of Kumaon Regiment of the Army based at Ajmani launched an operation at ULFA hideout in Paglahat and rescued Paban Kumar (25), the abducted son of retired police officer, Ramcharan Kumar.
46. Apr 06 The North East Tribune: ULFA militants blew a bomb at the heart of Sibsagar town in Upper Assam. IGP (SB) Assam Police Khagen Sarma said that the bomb did not cause much damage.
47. Apr 07 The Assam Tribune: militants triggered off a powerful explosion under a police vehicle in front of the Pachim Dhemaji college, Gauhati, injuring 9.
48. Apr 10 The Assam Tribune: One ULFA militant Bimal Barman was apprehended by the Army at Borgaon following an exchange of fire with a group of militants, in which two civilians were also injured.
49. Apr 11 The Assam Tribune: Three ULFA militants and two NDFB militants were killed in two separate encounters with the Army in Kamrup and Nalbari district today.
50. Apr 13 The Sentinel (Assam): troops of the Red Horns Division of the Army killed two NDFB militants in separate encounters recently.
51. Apr 15 The North East Tribune: With a large number of militant groups calling for poll boycott there has been a substantial increase of security forces in the region with CRPF alone raising its existing force from 209 Companies to 279 Companies informed its Director General of CRPF J K Sinha. 2 killed and 15 injured in a blast at the busy Ganeshguri area of Guwahati.
52. Apr 21 The Sentinel (Assam): An ULFA cadre Ratneswar Gogoi alias Rantu Gogoi surrendered before the District Magistrate, Dibrugarh yesterday. He was in Bhutan in 1998 and was there till operation “all clear” conducted by the Royal Bhutan Army. Then Gogoi fled away and went to NSCN (Khaplang) camp in Mon district, Nagaland. According to the surrendered ULFA cadre, the ULFA has been facing financial crunch and is not in a position to provide food to its cadres properly.
53. Apr 22 The North East Tribune: Two army personnel were killed during an encounter with ULFA militants in lower Assam’s Barpeta district.
54. Apr 24 The Sentinel (Assam): Two dreaded ULFA cadres Abhijit Gogoi and Biju Hatibaruah surrendered before Col. Samsher Singh Dalal, Commanding Officer, Punjab Regiment, camped at Dibrugarh.
55. Apr 28 The Sentinel (Assam): Seven militants belonging to ULFA and NDFB have surrendered before the SP, Kokrajhar V K Ramiseti at Serfanguri PS.
56. Apr 29 The Sentinel (Assam): troops of 2 Mountain division, operating in Tinsukia district, recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) near Margherita.
57. (Sainik Samachar - April 2004) A group of 44 militants of ULFA surrendered arms to Lt Gen Anup S Jamwal, GOC, Gajraj Corps, at Tezpur. The militants surrendered an assortment of weapons, ammunition, explosives, detonators and incriminating documents. Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Anup S Jamwal assured the militants that the Army would make all efforts to impart vocational training and help them establish themselves.
58. May 06 The North East Tribune: Suspected NDFB militants have gunned down two Adivasis at Bogribari in Assam’s Dhubri district. The victims have been identified as Budhu Monda and Samar Biswas. The Assam Tribune: ULFA leader (Operation) Subhas Sarma alias “Fighter” of Nalbari surrendered before the SP Darrang, EA Hazarika last Sunday at Mangaldai. His wife Binapani Deka, also an ULFA leader surrendered along with him.
59. May 07 The Sentinel (Assam): troops of the 2 Mountain Division of the Army, deployed in Tinsukia district shot dead a hard-core ULFA militant, Rudrajit Deodai Phukan alias Lachit Phukan, in New Kathalguri near Philobari. Two hard-core militants of the UPDS (anti-talk) faction surrendered before Col Surinder Kumar, 94 Field Regiment of Dah Mountain Division and police officials of Jorhat district at a surrender ceremony at Mariani.
60. May 08 The Sentinel (Assam): a large number of ULFA cadres have shifted their operational bases from Tinsukia to various districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Dragon Federation (ADF) is providing some logistic support to the ULFA cadres in Lohit district. The latter is reportedly maintaining a close nexus with the NSCN (K) in Changlang district. Pranab Jyoti Konwar, an ULFA activist, surrendered before the District Magistrate, Mr Niraj Verma in Dibrugarh. He worked as a wireless operator in the outfit till 1998. He said at present there are three “battalions” comprising 28th battalion, 7th battalion besides “council” which have at least 200 armed cadres including 20 women.
61. May 14 The Assam Tribune: 10 NDFB militants including have surrendered with arms and ammunitions before Brig OPS Pathania, Commander 77 Mountain Brigade at 5 Assam Rifles headquarters at Chariduar in Sonitpur district.
62. May 15 The Sentinel (Assam): Troops of 2 Mountain Division, operating in Tinsukia district of upper Assam, shot dead an ULFA cadre at Sema Basti near Jagun.
63. May 22 The Sentinel (Assam): The All Assam Students Union (AASU) has condemned the recent remarks of the newly elected MP from Dhubri Anowar Hussain that he will give priority to the retention of IM(DT) Act. The Gorkha Troops of Red Shield Division, deployed in NC Hills, after a three-day search operation against militants, killed one KNF militant and recovered arms and ammunition.
64. May 31 The North East Tribune: Four persons, including a woman and a girl, were injured in an attack by Bodos who also set ablaze 17 houses of Biharis in Upper Assam's Golaghat district.
65. Jun 02 The Telegraph: Mediators trying to secure the release of Assam minister G.C. Langthasa’s (veterinary minister and the most high-profile political leader from the remote North Cachar Hills) youngest son Nirmal from ULFA custody have reached a dead end. The rebel outfit initially put a price of Rs 3 crore on Nirmal’s freedom.
66. Jun 04 The North East Tribune: Three ULFA militants were killed during an encounter with the army personnel of Naga regiment in Assam’s Goalpara district this afternoon.
67. Jun 05 The North East Tribune: In a major breakthrough, army has nabbed one of ULFA’s top leaders, Siva Rajbongshi alias Rajen Gohain, in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.
68. Jun 10 The North East Tribune: The porous nature of the Indo-Bangladesh border has led to the intensification of fencing works in the Meghalaya sector and surveys of fresh areas has also been completed. Inspector General of the BSF (Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur sector), Srivastava had earlier stated about the urgent need to fence the borders. The Assam Tribune: three persons were killed and eight others were injured in an attack by suspected UPDS militants in Karbi Anglong district. They separated the villagers on the basis of supporters of the Congress and CPI (ML) and badly roughed up the persons found to be the supporters of the CPI (ML).
69. Jun 14 The Assam Tribune: CM Tarun Gogoi told reporters that with the creation of the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC), the Bodo issue has been settled. The Chief Minister also asserted that the he would not allow the extension of the ceasefire agreement with the Naga militant outfit, the NSCN-IM, to Assam.
70. Jun 24 The ULFA continued its spree of violence in Assam killing seven people, and injuring 19 others, by a powerful bomb explosion inside a public transport bus in Sibsagar district. http://203.200.89.67/pti_news.asp?id=230603
71. Jun 29 17 ultras laid down arms in the Army's Misa camp in Nagaon district yesterday. The surrendered included three women cadres of the ULFA. Brigadier A K Mukherjee of the 2 Mountain Artillery Brigade welcomed them at a function held in the Misa camp. http://203.200.89.67/pti_news.asp?id=231674
72. Jul 02 The Dah Division of Gajraj Corps motivate 39 militants including four women cadre of militant outfits to surrender before Maj Gen PS Rana, GOC Dah Division. The surrender ceremony was organised at North Lakhimpur in Upper Assam. Maj Gen PS Rana said that a number of rehabilitation camps are being conducted to impart vocational training to militants. In addition to free food and lodging, they are also paid Rs 2000 per month as stipend for one year when they undergo training at rehabilitation training centers. http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=10209
73. Jul 11 The North East Tribune: After a brief lull, suspected ULFA militants once again struck today in central Assam's Nowgaon district when its cadres lobbed a Chinese made grenade inside Krishna cinema hall in the heart of Nagaon town this evening injuring more than twelve cinegoers.
74. Jul 15 The Assam Tribune: the Centre has claimed that an estimated 1.20 crore illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were living in the country including 50,000 in Assam.
75. Jul 16 The Assam Tribune: In three separate incidents of violence in the State, suspected ultras blew up a trunk gas pipeline near Chabua in Dibrugarh district, hurt one in Guwahati city and seriously injured six others in a grenade attack at Bongaigaon this evening.
76. Jul 24 The North East Tribune: Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the police in Assam’s Lakhimpur district under Panigaon police station.
77. Jul 29 The Telegraph: The centre and state governments extended the truce with the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) by another year.
78. Aug 02 The Assam Tribune: The bi-annual border coordination meeting, to be attended by Inspectors General of BSF - Tripura, Cachar, and Mizoram (TCM) frontier and Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Nagaland (AMMN) frontier, besides Deputy Director General of Bangladesh Rifles, would take up issues such as prevention of trans-border crimes, infiltration and smuggling of arms and animals.
79. Aug 09 The Assam Tribune: fencing has been completed in almost the entire land area of 71 km along Assam-Bangladesh border. Fencing for nearly a 60-km stretch of border in Assam was “not feasible due to riverine border”, said the BSF. In case of Meghalaya, out of the 443-km-long border the State shares with Bangladesh, fencing has been completed for only half that length, the statement said.
80. Aug 11 The Assam Tribune: Three youths, including a surrendered ULFA cadre, were killed and a constable, Naren Deka, was seriously injured following a shootout between police and the youth in an Indica car near the Jorabat police check post.
81. Aug 12 The Assam Tribune: Nirmal Langthasa, son of the Hill Areas Development Minister GC Langthasa, has been released by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
82. Aug 13 The Assam Tribune: Two persons were killed by suspected NDFB activists at Oujuli Rangagarah near Assam-Arunachal border foothills area.
83. Aug 15 The Assam Tribune: The Government of Assam and militant outfit Birsa Commando Force today signed an agreement for a cessation of hostilities for a period of one year with effect from tomorrow.
84. Aug 16 The Hindu: Sixteen schoolchildren, including nine girls, were killed and 40 injured in Assam's Dhemaji district today, when the ULFA militants triggered a powerful blast.
85. Aug 17 The Sentinel (Assam): troops of the Red Horn Division, stationed at Kachugaon in Kokrajhar district shot dead two NDFB militants in an encounter at Dhanguri forest.
86. Aug 20 The North East Tribune: Condemning the “barbarous” Dhemaji blast, Gogoi pointed out that “mercenary” ULFA has become a puppet in the hands of foreign agents. The Chief Minister however refused to name the foreign agent, as “There is not enough evidence against them”.
87. Aug 22 The North East Tribune: For the first time in the history of insurgency in the state, people lambasted the leadership of the outfit calling them murderers and “Foreign agents”. Hundreds of people consisting of teachers and scholars poured into the streets of Dhemaji this morning carrying placards protesting against the killing of innocent children in I-Day blast.
88. Aug 25 The Assam Tribune: The war of words between the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) continues today with the students’ organisation calling upon the militant outfit to first “liberate Assam from the grasp of Bangladeshi nationals” before demanding sovereignty of Assam.
89. Aug 27 The North East Tribune: The militants in Assam have stepped up violence with a twin blasts in the capital city by blasting railway line just next to the Noonmati Oil Refinery on Thursday evening at about 7:40 pm followed by another at 9:40 pm leaving two journalists and seven security personnel including six GRP personnel and DSP (Hq) injured. 70 militants, including 47 from ULFA, surrendered in Assam's Sonitpur district. http://203.200.89.67/pti_news.asp?id=245467
90. Sep 03 The Telegraph: as many as 1,000 erstwhile militants of the disbanded Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) will soon be on the other side of the fence as members of paramilitary forces.
91. Sep 08 The Hindu: After five years of spreading terror in parts of north Bengal through killings, abductions and extortions, the militant Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), which has been seeking a separate State, is close to being wiped out, claim the West Bengal police.
92. Sep 09 The Assam Tribune: The West Garo Hills Police in Meghalaya recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of eight suspected ULFA militants from an interior jungle near Tikrikilla, near the border with Assam.
93. Sep 13 The Assam Tribune: Self-styled lieutenant Rockto Cheleng and one unidentified member of the ULFA were killed in an encounter that took place at Ledo outpost of Margherita PS this afternoon with the security forces.
94. Sep 14 The Telegraph: Troops of 2 Mountain Division have destroyed an advanced headquarters of the ULFA in the Ajukha area of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
95. Sep 16 The Telegraph: Major General P.S. Rana, GOC of the 2 Mountain Division, on ULFA extortion. "They have not only targeted the business community, but also served demand notes on government officials, teachers, doctors and anybody else who they think can pay," he told the media at the headquarters of the 181 Mountain Brigade in Laipuli.
96. Sep 17 The Assam Tribune: Bangladesh, Myanmar and the foothills of the Arunachal Pradesh still provide a safe haven for the North-east based militants , especially the ULFA said Lt General Anup S Jamwal, GOC 4 Corps and the operational head of the Unified Command Structure.
97. Sep 20 The Sentinel (Assam): A hard-core ULFA militant, Pratap Patgiri alias Rupjyoti Deka of Barapeta village near Barpeta Road was arrested by the police at Barang recently.
98. Sep 22 The Sentinel (Assam): EDITORIAL— after the Assam Movement of 1979-85 and the IM(DT) Act of 1983, the pro-Bangladeshi lobby in Assam became so powerful that no chief minister was in a position even to talk about the Bangladeshi presence in the State on pain of his government being dismissed.
99. Sep 24 The Telegraph: India is planning to import customised sensors from the US to detect trespassers along the porous Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Bengal. The Assam Tribune: Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Nayapara under Krishnai police station in Goalpara district.
100. Sep 26 The Telegraph: The United People's Democratic Solidarity today threatened another bloodbath if its rival, the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front, targets civilians of Assam's twin hill districts and disrupts the peace process in the region.
101. Sep 29 The Assam Tribune: Troops of the Tamulpur Brigade of Red Horn Division recovered huge quantity of explosives from village Belbari in Tamulpur Division of Bagsa district
102. Six hardcore militants surrendered to Col Surinder Kumar, Commanding Officer, 94 Field Regiment. The regiment played a key role for enabling the militants come back to mainstream. The militants surrendered with SLMG, 9mm pistol, radio sets, warlike stores and incriminating documents (Moriani, Assam) (September 2004)
103. Oct 01 The Sentinel (Assam): Two NDFB militants were killed by a CRPF patrol party recently at Natun Mati village near Indo-Bhutan border.
104. Oct 02 Militants belonging to the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) struck terror in Lower Assam, indulging in indiscriminate shooting at weekly markets and triggering explosions in Dhubri, Chirang and Bogaigaon, killing 19 persons and injuring 48.http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=253152
105. Oct 04 e-pao.net: Four persons, including three ultras, were killed and 20 injured as NDFB and ULFA militants struck at seven places in Assam for the second consecutive day taking the toll to 30.
106. Oct 05 In continued offensive, NDFB militants tonight gunned down 10 persons and injured five others in a dense forest at Salabila village in Dhubri district of Assam. http://203.200.89.67/pti_news.asp?id=253583
107. Oct 07 http://203.200.89.67/pti_news.asp?id=253953 Operations are on in Mahamaya forest and Ikti reserve forest of Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts to prevent the ultras from escaping into Bhutan. Operations were on in the worst-hit Dhubri district, which alone claimed 24 lives in three days since October 2, Kokrajhar, Baska, Chirang and Bongaigaon, considered to be NDFB strongholds.
108. http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/oct/08assam1.htm Under Operation Rhino II, two full divisions of the army - 21 and 2 based at Rangiya and Dinjan respectively - are perpetually engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the last decade. The 24 Brigade, part of the 21 Division, is based in Meghalaya and is normally held in reserve. It will now be deployed in the western districts. Reinforcements were being sent to Assam without disturbing the security grid in the Northeast and without drawing troops from formations in the Dimapur-based 3 Corps, despite the ceasefire in Nagaland.
109. Oct 09 The North East Tribune: Thirty three people were killed in landslides in Assam and Meghalaya as rains continued to lash the region for the third consecutive day today forcing the government to deploy army in Guwahati to rescue people from waterlogged areas.
110. Oct 10 The Telegraph: Security forces gunned down an NDFB militant at Monglajhora reserve forest in Dhubri district last night, barely hours after the militant group announced a unilateral ceasefire for six months, beginning October 15.
111. Oct 13 The Sentinel (Assam): A meeting of the Unified Command Structure was held on October 8 to intensify operations against the insurgent groups. Sources said that as many as 20 paramilitary companies have already arrived in the State and they have been deployed in the lower Assam districts. An additional Army brigade has also been brought to the State recently. The sources said that 12 platoons of AP commandos have been pressed into action in the insurgency-affected areas. As many as 125 to 300 NDFB cadres were still active in lower Assam, the sources added.
112. Oct 16 e-pao.net: Assam Government has accepted the unilateral six months ceasefire offer of NDFB from today. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told PTI here today that NDFB president DR Nabla had directly sent him a letter expressing the outfit's willingness to halt its activities for six months in response to his (Gogoi's) offer for ceasefire.
113. Oct 17 The Telegraph: Chief of army staff Gen. N.C. Vij today met chief minister Tarun Gogoi at Titaguri. Both Vij and Gogoi expressed satisfaction over the level of civil-military liaison in the state during the meeting. Vij was accompanied by Lt Gen. J.S. Verma, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, and Lt Gen. A.S. Jamwal, GOC, 4 Corps. The army chief was on a visit to Guwahati, Goalpara, Kokrajhar and Tamulpur in Lower Assam to assess the insurgency scenario in the area. Later in the evening Vij called on Assam governor Lt Gen. (retd) Ajai Singh.
114. Oct 21 The Assam Tribune: The Sanmilita Jana-Gosthiya Sangram Samity (SJSS), which has been in the forefront in opposing the last Bodo peace accord, has once again demanded that the government's talks with the banned NDFB, if it were to take place, should include representatives of all ethnic groups and political parties.
115. Oct 26 The Telegraph: The Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), the Manipur People's Liberation Front and the Tripura People's Democratic Front said in a joint statement that the people of the region ought to strengthen their traditional bonds and fight together to "uphold the sovereignty and independence of their respective kingdoms". This is for the first time that the banned KLO, active in north Bengal, has forged an alliance with militant groups of Tripura and Manipur.
116. Oct 28 The Sentinel (Assam): Dipankar Barua alias Mun, a hardcore ULFA militant, surrendered before the Jorhat Police.
117. Oct 30 The Assam Tribune: Thirteen members of the banned ULFA, including a lady, formally gave up militancy and surrendered before the police at a brief surrender ceremony at the Dibrugarh Police Reserve. At least five ULFA militants were killed while two others managed to escape in an encounter with a joint team of Army and police at Rangajan forest.
118. Nov 02 The North East Tribune: Centre has been reportedly pressing the NSCN-K leaders for efforts to close down all the camps belonging to outlawed ULFA in Myanmar, known as the stronghold of the Naga rebel faction. According to reliable sources, there were around 300 ULFA cadres hiding in Myanmar at present in two major camps-GHQ and CHQ-which were divided into smaller units.
119. Nov 04 The Assam Tribune: Reports of detention of top leaders of NDFB by Bangladesh Government after their unilateral ceasefire offer has sent alarm bells ringing. India's plea to Bangladesh authorities to take action on the militant leaders operating out of the country has so far been met with stout denial. But surprisingly after the NDFB announced the unilateral ceasefire sleuths arrested Sushil Bodo in Dhaka.
120. Nov 05 The Telegraph: The Centre is seriously considering whether to "evacuate" National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) leaders camping in Bangladesh, since their security appears to be at stake.
121. Nov 08 The Sentinel (Assam): Troops of the Red Horns Division of the Army apprehended two hardcore NDFB militants belonging to the 20th batch of the outfit from Handanpara village.
122. Nov 14 The Telegraph: Four persons have been picked up for last night's grenade attack on a Kali Puja pandal in Nagaon in which 24 people were injured, two of them seriously. The militants are suspected to belong to the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF).
123. Nov 15 The North East Tribune: Ending speculations about involvement of BTC members in the proposed peace talks with the NDFB, the latter today said they would include not only a few BLT and ABSU leaders but also representatives of the entire Boro community to arrive at an amicable solution to the problem.
124. Nov 17 The North East Tribune: Intelligence and security agencies are opposing Bangladesh's proposal to interrogate some captured ULFA and NDFB militants, including Anup Chetia, in Dhaka, saying that they should be flown to India, questioned unceasingly, and confronted with evidence and sources.
125. Nov 19 The Sentinel (Assam): Dreaded ULFA militant Jayanta Moran, alias Jatin, surrendered before Colonel Rakesh Sarma, Officiating Commander of 181 Mountain Brigade, in Tinsukia. The Telegraph: Dispur has decided to arm members of village defence parties (VDPs) and raise their monthly honorarium from Rs 50 to Rs 1,500, indicating that it will not lower its guard against militants despite peace overtures from the ULFA and the NDFB.
126. Nov 22 The Telegraph: A jinxed railway scheme to upgrade a 214-km-long meter gauge section from here to Lumding has been accorded the status of a national project, the only one in the region. As a result, it is likely to receive additional budgetary grants to the tune of Rs 1,013 crore in the next five years.
127. Nov 23 The Assam Tribune: An ULFA extremist Biswajit Bora and three other aides were arrested this morning after an encounter between a group of militants and a police-CRPF team at Kalbasti Murhagaon along the Assam-Nagaland border.
128. Nov 24 The Assam Tribune: Nine floating border outposts (BOPs), meant for strengthening anti-infiltration measures on the India-Bangladesh border in the North-east, are stranded in the Bay of Bengal as Bangladesh has declined to allow passage to the ships. BSF Director General Ajay Raj Sharma, said that the nine floating BOPs came from the Mazgaon Docks in Mumbai by sea but are now stuck as Bangladesh denied passage through its waters to the North-east. In all 14 such floating BOPs have been sanctioned for the Water Wing of the BSF by the Government and are meant for deployment in creek areas in Bhuj in Gujarat, Sunderbans in West Bengal and the Brahmaputra (Dhubri sector) in Assam.
129. Nov 25 The North East Tribune: The ULFA has drawn up a Rs 1,100-crore annual budget for 2004-2005 to fight Indian security forces all over the North East. Part of the budget money is lying in Dhaka's Bangladesh Gramin Bank and part in the International Islamic Finance Company based in Dubai.
130. Nov 28 The Telegraph: Police today averted possible strikes by the ULFA after they arrested three militants in Sivasagar district.
131. Nov 29 The Sentinel (Assam): An NDFB cadre was killed in an encounter with the Army stationed at Saraibil. The Hindu Yuva Chatra Parishad (HYCP) has appealed to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to refrain from destroying assets of the nation, including oil and gas installations in Assam, and turn its wrath towards lakhs of Bangladeshis who have entered the State illegally.
132. Nov 30 The North East Tribune: The banned KLNLF has decided to burn the KNA and ASDC agreement starting 4th to 10th December all over NC Hills and Karbi Anglong. The massive infiltration of Kukis and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) cadres from Burma and Manipur was nothing but the result of KNA and ASDC agreement, the KLNLF said.
133. Dec 01 The North East Tribune: Senior CRPF officials today brushed off the claim of ULFA C-in-C Paresh Baruah saying the CRPF cadre who killed seven of his colleagues in Baramulla two days back (see Operation Rakshak III news item dated Nov 28) was a member of the banned organization. A senior CRPF official said the statement might be a ploy of the militant leader to discourage the security agencies to recruit the youth of the region.
134. Dec 02 The Telegraph: The Cachar district administration has sounded an alert after last night's gun battle between the army and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) in neighbouring Jiribam subdivision of Manipur. A dozen rebels lobbed grenades and fired on a column of the ninth parachute field regiment of the army at Laishambithal.
135. Dec 03 The Sentinel (Assam): While the process of recruiting former Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) cadres in the paramilitary forces of the country has almost been completed as per the provisions of the BTC Accord, the surrendered NDFB militants have threatened to take up arms if the Government failed to announce any rehabilitation package for them soon.
136. Dec 06 The Assam Tribune: Two ULFA militants and a child were killed in an encounter between the militants and Army near Palasbari.
137. Dec 07 The Assam Tribune: The Prime Minister has called upon the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to come for unconditional talks with the Government of India. This was disclosed by noted litterateur Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, who has been trying to initiate talks between the Government and the ULFA and forwarded a draft proposal to the Prime Minister in this regard. SSB to be deployed on Indo-Bhutan border http://203.200.89.67/pti_news.asp?id=266029
138. Dec 10 The Telegraph: The 5 Madras Regiment and 11 Rajputana Rifles have destroyed two camps of ULFA militants deep inside Manabhum reserve forest in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. The operation was launched on November 24 on the basis of information that ULFA rebels were shifting bases from Myanmar and setting up camps inside the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh, said an army spokesperson at the 4 Corps headquarters in Tezpur.
139. Dec 11 Kanglaonline: the Supreme Court today gave an ultimatum to the three feuding States of Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh to amicably resolve their boundary dispute failing of which a boundary commission would be appointed to settle the dispute.
140. Dec 13 The Sentinel (Assam): No military offensive has been launched against insurgent groups based in Myanmar either by the Indian or Myanmar Army, GOC 4 Corps Lt Gen Anup Singh Jamwal has said. Talking to UNI at Tamulpur after inaugurating a new school building at Barkhola, Lt Gen Jamwal, however, has said operations against the cadres of the ULFA are being carried out in Arunachal Pradesh. He said several militant groups from the region, including ULFA and NSCN (K), had set up camps in Myanmar. "Cadres from these groups, however, are living in Myanmar territory under great fear of facing another Bhutan-type operation and fleeing from the camps whenever they see troop movement in India," the General pointed out. The 4 corps has been guarding 1,923 km of the International Border, including 1,126 km of Indo-China border, falling under its jurisdiction in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
141. Dec 15 The Sentinel (Assam): The inhabitants living along the Assam-Nagaland border are gradually developing a feeling of uncertainty for their future. The Nagas, in varied numbers, allegedly visit the Assamese villages at random threatening people, abducting persons for ransom and loot domestic animals and crops under the nose of the BOPs and beat offices. The Telegraph: One person was killed and at least 65 were injured as ULFA militants dodged tight security to carry out a string of IED attacks across the state to mark the first anniversary of the Bhutan operations.
142. Dec 17 The Telegraph: two years after the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) decided to put aside the gun and start a peace process with Delhi, its erstwhile leader Jewel Gorlosa has revived a defunct organisation to resuscitate the Dimasa tribe’s campaign for a separate homeland. Gorlosa has envisioned a Dimasa homeland within the boundary of the North Cachar Hills and not the erstwhile Dimasa kingdom. The Assam Tribune: The Centre is likely to toughen it stand on tackling militancy, with Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil today hinting that the Central Government was mulling a Unified Command for all the north-eastern States. In the fourth incident of blast in Guwahati in as many days, a person was killed and over a dozen were injured, several of them seriously, when ULFA militants hurled a grenade at the busy Paltan Bazar crossing.
143. Dec 18 The Assam Tribune: GOC 21 Mountain Division, Major Gen Karan Yadava today said that the outlawed ULFA was hitting soft targets, like civilians in public places, as it has lost its capability to carry out bigger subversive operations. He felt that the lure of easy money, gun power and unemployment were the factors sustaining militancy in the region.
144. Dec 20 The Assam Tribune: Reports of growing links between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Maoist militants of Nepal are causing concern among the security agencies involved in counter-insurgency operations.
145. Dec 21 The North East Tribune: Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO) today excluded the Koch-Rajbongshi dominated areas of lower Assam from the Kamatapur map. KLO chief Jibon Singha said the Koch-Rajbongshi people living in Assam need not to struggle anymore for they had been living cordially with the greater Assamese nationality since ages. Reacting to this publicity secretary of Bongaingaon unit of All Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Students union (AAKRSU) expressed surprise and shock at the declaration of the KLO and said the KLO had failed to understand the sentiments and mentality of the Koch-Rajbongshi people living in Assam.
146. Dec 25 The Telegraph: An important jailed leader Gobinda Basumatary of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was released today for facilitating the peace process with the militant outfit.
147. Dec 27 The Assam Tribune: An unidentified ULFA extremist taking shelter in a hut at Majnoi Garhchukgaon along the Assam-Nagaland border under Teok Police Station was shot dead in an encounter with a joint police-CRPF team. The Sentinel: In the continuing operation Three ULFA cadres were killed on the spot during an encounter with the police at Mornoi Garsukgaon near Gabohoru Parbat Tea Estate along the Assam-Nagaland border in Jorhat district.
148. Dec 28 The Sentinel: Two suspected ULFA militants were seriously injured in a joint action of the Assam and West Bengal police in Jikan Tola village.
149. Dec 29 The Sentinel: Noted litterateur Mamoni Raisom Goswami's liaison with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to bring the ULFA to the negotiation table has been stalled since the rebel group's 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah took ill.
150. Dec 31 The Assam Tribune: The officers and workers of the Oil India Ltd (OIL) today came out jointly opposing the move of the Union Government to merge OIL with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). They described it as a camouflaged move to privatize OIL and also as a new design to undermine the interests of the NE region. They made an appeal to the state governments and the people of the NE region to voice their opposition to the move vigorously.
End Note:
Operation All Clear was launched by the Royal Bhutan Army against the ULFA, NDFB, a terrific psychological blow by uprooting these insurgents from what they had imagined to be as safe havens, and by sending them running into the waiting arms of the Indian Army. The KLO, fighting for a homeland in North Bengal and Western Assam, was practically wiped out as a result of this operation according to local police officials.
While the RBA continued mopping up operations well into March 2004 large numbers of NDFB insurgents surrendered to the Indian Army and local administration. However some of the NDFB cadres active within Assam continued their attacks, prompting the army to intensify Operation Rhino II. For this purpose fresh paramilitary units were inducted into the state and the 24 Brigade (under the 21 Mountain Division) was brought down from Meghalaya to operate in the western Assam districts. In the middle of October the NDFB offered a six-month ceasefire and later demanded a rehabilitation package similar to that for the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) and joint talks with the newly-created Bodo Territorial Council (BTC).
Large numbers of ULFA cadres surrendered to the army but some escaped to Arunachal Pradesh, some to camps of the NSCN (K) in Nagaland, and some to Myanmar. Continued operations by the 4 Corps units however kept them on the run while units under 3 Corps and the Myanmar Army (see Operation Orchid below) disrupted their safe havens in Nagaland and Myanmar. However the top ULFA leadership, leading luxurious lifestyles in Bangladesh, retaliated by attacking the oil and gas infrastructure and sanctioning terrorist strikes in alliance with foreign agencies. ISI agents (see Operation Orchid news item dated Oct 29) probably masterminded blasts at Dhemaji and Dimapur in October. The ULFA leaders have vast businesses in Bangladesh and have links in that country’s political and military establishment, where the Pakistani ISI also wields considerable influence.
The role of Bangladesh remained dubious throughout the year in review. When the NDFB offered a ceasefire and peace talks the Bangladesh authorities, who had all along denied militant presence in their country, arrested NDFB and ULFA leaders but declined to hand them over to India. Fencing Assam’s riverine and marshy tracts is difficult and the state government is looking at creating a River Police and issuing national identity cards to check the movement of insurgents and deport illegal immigrants.
Southern Assam (Cachar hills north to Karbi-Anglong) comes under the 3 Corps at Dimapur. This strategic region is used for militant movements and smuggling across the northeast and has an explosive ethnic mix. The Karbis, Dimasas, Kukis, and Nagas are ranged against each other—militant groups from Manipur and Nagaland take shelter in this region to escape military pressure in their own states. Units under both the 3 and 4 Corps are active against the local UPDS and outside groups.
