Blast targets convoy in Assam, one reported dead

A blast targeted an army convoy has been reported from Assam’s Goalpara district Tuesday. The high intensity blast has reportedly killed one jawan.

The attack comes as union Home Minister P Chidambaram was visiting the nearby Dhubri district, although it is unclear if the two incidents are connected in any way.

Officials said seven army personnel were injured and reports had come in of one death.

No further reports were immediately available.

Manipuris protest against rising extortion activities

Imphal, July 31 : Residents of Manipur capital Imphal staged a protest against rising incidents of extortion in the region, the latest being a grenade attack at Pari Imom Sindam Sang School, located at Langjing and firing at a doctor's car, both of whom refused to accede to the extortion demands.

Earlier this month, insurgents threw a grenade outside the Pari Imom Sindam Sang School, forcing the school to close for a day.

Parents, teachers, students and non-teaching staff participated in the protest rally and urged the insurgents to stop such activities.

Interacting with media, Dhanamanjuri Devi, the school principal, said that such incidents are not acceptable.

"We are serving the students. We are ready to face anything for their future. It was such a cowardly act and was very shocking, so we should unite and fight against it," Devi said.

The students, predictably shocked, are still trying to come to terms with the shocking attack.

"A bomb was thrown at our school gate. It could have killed many. We do not know why they have done this but we want to know who has done it? We don't want such incidents to be repeated," Ibetombi Chanu, a student, said.

Another incident of violence has traumatised the family of Dr. Salam Nongthon.

Suspected cadres of Kangleipak Communist Party military task force faction fired two bullets at the doctor's car recently.

The outfit had demanded Rs.20 lakhs from the doctor, who did not pay up.

"A few days ago, the insurgent outfit sent us letter for Rs.20 lakhs, but how can we pay such huge amounts. We tried to communicate our inability to pay such a huge amount but were unable to do so. We were scared, "Urmila, wife of Dr. Nongthon, said.

The incident upset the people and they came out on the streets in protest.

"Some militants fired bullets at Dr. Nongthon. We strongly condemn it and want them not to repeat it," Subadini Devi, a protestor, said.

The people in Manipur want all militant outfits to give up violence and sort out differences through dialogue.

NSCN-IM inroads into Dima Hasao

Rebel outfit intensifies extortion drive

SARAT SARMA

Nagaon, July 31 : Increased activity of NSCN (I-M) in Dima Hasao is posing a threat to the district’s law and order situation as the outfit’s cadres are allegedly engaging in rampant extortion there.

According to an intelligence source, the outfit is trying to set up base in the district because of three basic reasons — the ongoing projects in the district, better population structure of the community in that part of Assam and the growing ideological clash between the NSCN (K) and Zeliangrong United Front in neighbouring Manipur.

According to Dima Hasao police, since May this year, eight NSCN (I-M) cadres have been arrested from different parts of the hill district. In two different encounters, one lieutenant-level NSCN (I-M) cadre died and two of his associates were seriously injured.

According to reports, NSCN (I-M) also helps Dimasa National Liberation Front (DNLF) to carry out extortion within the district. The outfit also runs its own extortion racket, specifically targeting outsiders who come to work in different national-level projects such gauge conversion and East-West Corridor, among others.

A police source said the Naga rebel outfit also provided shelter to high-profile DNLF cadre in its Dimapur base.

“The relationship between the two rebel groups is nothing new. The DNLF is being supplied with sophisticated arms from the neighbouring states. Interrogation of arrested cadres brings to light more information about the arms network all throughout the hilly parts of Assam,” a source said.

Migration of militants from neighbouring Manipur and Nagaland is one of the main reasons behind frequent law and order crises in Dima Hasao, where though Dimasas are a majority. Zeme Nagas, Hmars, Kukis and Karbis are also influential communities.

According to available data, six militant outfits, including the DHD, DHD (J), NSCN (I-M), HPC (D), KNF (MC), KLNLF are operating in the district.

“After the 2010 DHD (J) ceasefire, it was assumed that peace would return to the troubled hill belt and people would be free from extortion. But the recent extortion drive by the NSCN (I-M) has proved that to be a bad dream,” said Maibong village resident Gangaram Chetry.

The police source said they were on the lookout for rebels indulging in extortion though no such complaint had been received recently. “But reports about rebel activity are still being received and steps are being taken to check this,” the source added.

GNLA chief arrested near Bangladesh border in Meghalaya

Shillong: The outlawed Garo National Liberation Army's (GNLA) chief Champion R. Sangma was arrested Monday near the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, police said.
Sangma, whose outfit is fighting for a separate Garoland, was arrested from Umkrem Pyrwdiwah area in East Khasi Hills district, about 80 km from Shillong.
"Champion Sangma was arrested this (Monday) afternoon based on intelligence inputs about his movement in the villages bordering Bangladesh," state police chief N. Ramachandran told IANS.
The GNLA supremo is wanted by police for masterminding several crimes, including killings and extortion in insurgency-ravaged Garo Hills in western Meghalaya.
It was reported that Sangma had been arrested by police in Bangladesh in November 2010.
However, the Meghalaya police chief said it was not clear if the rebel leader was pushed back into India like other top separatist rebels of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
"We have not interrogated him and we don't know whether he was pushed back but we arrested him from the area based on intelligence about his presence in the area," Ramachandran said.
"It is a prize catch for Meghalaya Police and we are hopeful with his arrest we will be able to unravel the ins and outs of the GNLA," he added.
Champion, a former deputy superintendent of police, deserted the police force and floated the GNLA in November 2009.
The outfit, which had been outlawed by the Indian government, forged an operational alliance with the ULFA and the NDFB, which provided it access to sophisticated arms and ammunition, and enabled it to unleash a reign of terror in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills.
It also forged an alliance with the Bangladesh-based rebel group, A'chik Special Dragon Party.
Over 35 people, including security personnel, have been killed in the Garo Hills in the last one year by GNLA rebels, who number around 100.

72 militants surrender in Manipur

Seventy-two militants across various rebel organisations surrendered at Mantriphukri in Imphal recently to return to the social mainstream.

Indoctrinated and misled by various militant groups on the pretext of a better life, the ‘militants’ instead got a life on the run.

Over the years, the security forces have been persuading their families to help them give up violence and lay down their arms.

Interacting with media persons, Major General UK Gurung of Assam Rifles South welcomed the move.

“The surrendered cadres have taken the right direction to join the mainstream and come to the peace process that is going on in the Manipur at this point of time,” he said.

The government and the security forces are willing to help in the rehabilitation of the militants.

Jin, a surrendered cadre said, “The security forces will provide us an identity card that will help us and prevent armed forces from detaining us.

Over the years, many insurgents have surrendered and are now leading happy lives with their families.

The surrendered militants, who also laid down a huge cache of arms, belonged to United National Liberation Front, People’s Liberation Army, People’s United Liberation Front, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, Karbi National Liberation Front and Kangleipak Communist Party.

12 NSCN-IM linkmen caught in Assam

SILCHAR: In an overnight operation in Naga-dominated Lodhi village near Haflong in Dima Hasao district, security forces rounded up 12 linkmen of militant outfit NSCN(IM), four of them reported to be hardened rebels.

A senior police official said that on the basis of a tip-off about the presence of Naga ultras in the village, jawans of 25 Assam Rifles and Assam Police on Wednesday evening jointly cordoned off the village and started a raid at 8pm which continued till 1am. During the operation, the cops arrested 12 linkmen of the NSCN(IM). Some arms and ammunition was also recovered from them. These included one bolt action rifle, 37 rounds of bullets of a 7.65 mm pistol, 250 gelatine sticks and some explosive materials. There was also a huge quantity of extortion notes in the name of the 'Government of the People's Republic of Nagaland (GPRN)' and a number of incriminating documents. Meanwhile, cops on Thursday morning arrested a self-styled area commander of NSCN(K) near Haflong.

3 militants nabbed in Assam-Meghalaya border

Guwahati, July 19 : Three cadres of anti-talk faction group of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) were arrested in Assam's Goalpara district on Wednesday, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of police and army had launched a search operation at Krishnai area in the district along the Assam-Meghalaya border and apprehended the militants.

"Based on our intelligence report, security forces had launched the serach the operation and nabbed the militants, who were hiding at the area," a police official said.

Security forces nabbed two GNLA militants and a NDFB militant and recoverd one 9 mm pistol and ammunition from their possession.

GNLA and NDFB militants are active in the district and some parts of the border area and involved in unlawful activities at the area.

Assam Rifles kills Kuki militant in Manipur

IMPHAL: Assam Rifles soldiers gunned down a cadre allegedly belonging to the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) in an encounter at Haipi village in Senapati district in the wee hours of Sunday.

The outfit is a party to the ongoing Suspension of Operation (Soo) with the government.

Following a tip off about the presence of some militants in the area, 43 AR personnel rushed to the spot at around 1am, sources said.

On seeing the troops, the cadres opened fire at the troops and in the retaliatory action, one of the militants was killed on the spot while the others escaped from the scene, the sources added.

The soldiers found an AK rifle with 25 bullets on the slain cadre, identified as SL Paolen (25) of Hengjang village in the same district.

Forensic doctors at the Centre-run Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) at Imphal conducted an autopsy on the slain body. The police have registered an FIR to ascertain the veracity of the incident.

KRA is among the 19 Manipur-based Kuki outfits, which are signatories to the ongoing Soo with the government. The tripartite Soo agreement between the Centre, the state government and the outfits under two apex bodies-United People's Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organization (KNO)-was signed in August 2008.

DHD talks inch closer to final pact

New Delhi/Silchar Jul 12 : The Centre has extended the suspension of operations agreement with the Dima Halam Daogah (Nunisa) group for another six months till September 30 with the talks inching towards a final settlement.

An SoO between security forces and the DHD is in operation since January 1, 2003, and has been extended periodically. The tripartite talks on the demands of DHD are continuing and sources said a final shape to the settlement could be given by July 20.

A cabinet note has been sent to different ministries, which will give their opinion on the matter after which it would be taken up by the cabinet.

A joint monitoring group headed by JS (North East) in the ministry of home affairs has been constituted to review the implementation of agreed ground rules.

“(The) last tripartite meeting with the outfit was held on December 17, 2011, to finalise MoS (memorandum of settlement),” an official release today said.

The DHD led by Jewel Gorlosa is known to have agreed to a final settlement. However, the Centre is trying to get both outfits to agree to the same conditions of a memorandum of settlement in order to avoid later disagreements. “That is yet to be achieved,” said a source.

This morning, the chairman of the DHD (Nunisa), Dilip Nunisa, criticised the Assam government for its delay in signing the memorandum of settlement on the future of the Dimasas and their development as agreed in New Delhi in the second week of June.

Speaking over phone from New Delhi today, Nunisa told this correspondent this morning that the reasons for the delay in ratification of the accord were “quite inexplicable”.

He said Dispur had chosen to prolong its “enigma of silence” over a possible solution.

Dilip Nunisa and Dima “army chief ” Pranab Nunisa represented the DHD (Nunisa) in the tripartite talks. The Centre was represented by joint secretary (Northeast) Shambhu Singh and the state by home commissioner P. Sailesh besides Assam police’s additional director-general of police (special branch) Khagen Sarma.

The one obstacle in the ratification of the last round of the tripartite talks is integration of 94 villages of both Nagaon and Cachar districts now adjoining Dima Hasao area. Among these, 18 villages are now in Cachar for many years. The proposal of amalgamation of these villages with Dima Hasao has now become a bone of contention between the DHD (D) and the Assam government.

The Assam government’s former minister and chairman of the committee to rename North Cachar as Dima Hasao district, Dinesh Prasad Goala, last night said: “Not a single chatak of Cachar’s land on the eastern part of this district should be sliced for its eventual integration with Dima Hasao.”

Yesterday, several people who included, among others, the tea community, staged a dharna in front of the office of the Cachar deputy commissioner here in protest against the proposal of integration of Cachar villages with Dima Hasao as demanded by the DHD (Nunisa).

The demonstrators held aloft the placards stating not a single inch of Cachar’s land should be parted with.

The DHD (Nunisa) with over 850 cadres living since 2003 in four camps in Dima Hasao district has been demanding, apart from the integration of the Dimasa-inhabited areas in Cachar and Nagaon, infusion of Rs 250 crore in the next five years for the district’s all-round social and economic development and recruitment of DHD (Nunisa) cadres in security forces

Nunisa also flayed the NSCN (I-M) for its continuing ingress into the Dima Hasao district from adjoining Nagaland.

Three persons injured in Manipur blast

Three persons, including a child, have been seriously injured when militants hurled a grenade at a gram panchayat pradhan's house in Imphal East district of Manipur, official sources said today.

The militants lobbed the grenade at the house of Y Jitendra, the pradhan of Kongpal Laishram Leikai area last night when Pradhan and his family were resting.

Y Ashalata (29), her daughter Tania (6 months) and her sister in law Y Robita were injured, the sources said.

They were taken to J N Hospital at nearby Porompat where the condition of the three persons was stated to be serious.

The area where the incident took place is 8 km from here.

The militants managed to escape.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Jitendra's family members said they had not received any threat from any organisation.

Police said they would investigate whether it was related to any monetary demand or personal rivalry.

Two Dimasa National Revolutionary Front rebels held in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: Police on Wednesday arrested the self-styled deputy commander-in-chief of Dimasa National Revolutionary Front (DNRF), Manjit Phanglo alias Main Dimasa, and vice-chairman Nilesh Thousen alias Thairing, from the city's the Noonmati area.

Police also found a .32 pistol from Manjit's possession. Both the rebels were in the most wanted list of state police and were involved in insurgency activities. The operations wing of the police said they had been staying in the city for six months.

"They were hiding here since February and were controlling insurgency in Dima Hasao district through phone and other networking. They have a strong network with NSCN. We were looking for them for a long time," said an official of the operations wing.

"They were wanted in several kidnapping and extortion cases. We are going to interrogate them after Guwahati Police handed them over to us," said Dima Hasao SP Mugdhajyoti Mahanta.

The duo was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of one Dharmendra Yadav, an official of a stone crusher unit of Triveni Construction, on January 20 this year. Later, police rescued Yadav. DNRF militants are active in Dima Hasao district.

Myanmar Army closing in on NE ultra camps

GUWAHATI, July 6 – Some movements of personnel of the Myanmar Army have been noticed in the areas where most of the militant groups of North East have their bases in the neighbouring country in recent times. However, no operation has yet been launched against the militants.

Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that according to information available with the security agencies, Myanmar Army personnel have moved closer to the camps of the militant groups. During the last visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to Myanmar, the Government of that country assured to take action against the militant groups taking shelter in that country. Sources said that the Myanmar Army had asked the militants to move out of the area, but as per information available with the security agencies, none of the militant outfits moved out of the area so far.

It may be mentioned here that most of the militant groups of the North East, including the hardline faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), have strong bases in Myanmar. In fact, the mobile military headquarter of the hardline faction of the ULFA is located in Myanmar. Sources, however, said that Paresh Baruah has not visited the camps of the outfit in the Taga area of Myanmar for some time and he is in Ruilie in Myanmar-China border.

On the activities of the ULFA in Assam, sources said that there have been intelligence inputs about attempts by the hardline faction of the ULFA to strike before the Independence Day celebrations and the police and security forces have been alerted to thwart any such attempt. Sources revealed that the militants, who are now in Assam, have been directed to indulge in acts of violence, but their movements have been curbed due to operations by police and security forces in upper Assam districts.

Insurgents ambush security patrol in Manipur

Imphal: Insurgents have ambushed an Assam Rifles battalion patrolling Sita Hill area in Chandel district of Manipur bordering Myanmar, officials said Thursday.

Casualty, if any, was not known, they said.

The insurgents fired at the security personnel of the 24th Assam Rifles battalion in the interior hill area, about 100 km from here, yesterday.

The security personnel retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for several hours.

A spokesman of the banned Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) identified as Taohang Heiremcha said the ambush was carried out by cadre of its armed wing, People's Liberation Army (PLA).

In a statement, the spokesman claimed that at least three Assam Rifles personnel were injured.

Myanmar picks rebel thorn with NSCN

New Delhi, July 6 : Myanmar has agreed to ask the NSCN (Khaplang) to reduce strength of the Meitei militants to one-third of their current strength.

This could be seen as a move to moderate Myanmar’s failure to push out Manipur-based insurgents out of the country.

The agreement was reached at a meeting of Union ministry of home affairs officials with a nine-member Myanmar delegation in Calcutta on June 26 and 27, sources told The Telegraph.

Another commitment of this decision was made to Indian officials in Myanmar on Wednesday, the source added.

There are at least 3,500 Meitei militants in different camps across Kachin, Sagaing and Chin areas of Myanmar.

India is trying to help the newly democratised Myanmar regime to co-operate on the ground with its forces.

“The cadre strength of Meitei groups will be reduced to one-third by Myanmar,” a government source said.

This would be effected through the NSCN, led by S.S. Khaplang, who mentored several Meitei groups from Manipur for many years without much opposition from the state.

However, a day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Yangon and Naypyidaw on May 28, the Myanmar government directed Khaplang to ask Manipur-based groups to get out of the country by June 10.

As the Myanmar government geared to flush out insurgents, the Centre has beefed up security in Manipur along the border areas.

The NSCN entered in a peace pact with the Myanmar government in early May. But the pact did not have any impact on the Manipur-based militant groups and they continued to remain entrenched in the camps.

Meitei militant groups are believed to be friends with senior Myanmar army officials and have been able to ward off any plans of offensive action against them.

Indian officials said “two things cannot co-exist” — the privilege of a ceasefire offered to NSCN by Myanmar and the militant group’s continued support to Meitei groups.

Intelligence sources said there was evidence that information about planning offensives were “leaked to militants” in the nick of time. “We have shared a list of 54 camps of the Meitei groups with Myanmar,” said a source.

The Myanmar delegation was led by its director-general (general administration).

“Many of them are believed to have shifted base to other places,” said the official. Besides 54 major camps, the militants have also set up temporary camps that are mobile.

In May, Myanmar President Thein Sein’s message was conveyed to rebel groups like PLA, UNLF and Prepak through Khaplang but the militants simply shifted bases to other areas, including the Chin hills. This time round, the pressure is mounted by New Delhi.

Sein’s directives were in line with what both leaders buttressed later in the joint statement.

“Both leaders reiterated the assurance that territories of either country would not be allowed to be used for activities inimical to the other, including for training, sanctuary and other operations by terrorist and insurgent organisations and their operatives,” the joint statement of May 28 said.

A liaison office will be operationalised by Myanmar in the border town of Panhsaun in Myanmar by October, a source said.

Center accuses NSCN (K) for sheltering NE rebels

The Centre has accused the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) of giving shelter to northeast insurgent outfits.

The representatives of the Center and the NSCN (K), which met at Kohima yesterday in the Cease Fire Supervisory Board (CFSB) meeting, discussed several issues including the outfit providing shelter and aiding northeast outfits like United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) despite objection by New Delhi. The Chairman of the CFSB, constituted by the Center to monitor implementation of Cease Fire Ground Rules (CFGR), Maj Gen(Retd) N George said at the meeting that the security forces had tabled clear evidences of NSCN (K) still sheltering cadres of other outfits.

He said there was clear evidence of ULFA camps in Changlang and Tirap, which were aided by the NSCN (K).

However, the NSCN (K) rebutted the claim of government representative. The outfit said they had an understanding with other insurgent groups like ULFA and United National Liberation Front (UNLF) of Manipur, but claimed that it does not either provide them shelter or aid them.

Combing operation being considered in Manipur district

Imphal: A massive combing operation will be launched in Manipur's interior Tamenglong hill district following frequent clashes among various militant factions that resulted in the killing of civilians, official sources said on Wednesday.

Militant factions such as Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), NSCN factions and other groups were operating in the district.

In the latest incident on June 21, two civilians and four militants were killed in an exchange of fire between ZUF and NSCN (K).

The sources said the authorities were considering to deploy the army, police and other forces during the combing operation, but a final decision was yet to be taken. A high-level meeting presided over by Manipur Home Minister Gaikhangam yesterday reviewed the situation.

The meeting was attended by Director General of Police Y Joykumar, GOC 57 Mountain Division Maj Gen Binoy Poonen, home department officials and representatives from security agencies, the sources said.

NLFT extremist flees Myanmar base camp, records statement in Agartala

A National Liberation Front of Tripura extremist, who claimed to have escaped from the faction's training base in Myanmar, today recorded statement before a local court here. According to police, the person identified as Shambhu Debbarma appeared before the court and stated that NLFT base in Myanmar had been facing a turbulent phase with the arrest of five surrendered militants in Agartala with an amount of Rs 25 lakh a fortnight ago. "I have taken the advantage of mismanagement in the camp and fled away on June 30 and reached home last evening via Mizoram and Silchar," Shambhu, a resident of Mandai - on the outskirts of the city, stated before the court. He however, confessed that two of the surrendered NLFT cadres- Dhanu Koloi and Pradip Koloi, who had been working for revival of the outfit's operation in the state for past few months and he was forced to join the arms training in Myanmar. The court recorded his statement under section 161 and asked police to investigate the case. Meanwhile, the court sent Pradip Koloi to seven more days of judicial custody yesterday and sealed his three bank accounts. Police had managed to access to two of his hard-discs and found several contacts of Northeastern militants and photographs besides, some classified documents.