Manipur ultras active in Barak Valley

By R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, Nov 29 – Members of Manipur based militant outfits have started sneaking into the Barak Valley districts of Assam, while, activities of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) in the Dima Hasao district have become matters of serious concern.

Highly placed police sources told The Assam Tribune that members of Manipur based militant groups are suspected to be involved in blowing off of a bridge in Cachar district last evening and the main aim was to cut off the road leading to Manipur.

Sources said that there was an intelligence input that some of the Manipur based militant outfits have been trying to increase their dominance in the areas bordering the Barak Valley and they might try to cut off the road connecting the neighbouring state from the Valley. Accordingly, the main bridge near the inter-state border was guarded, but the militants managed to sneak into the Valley to blow off a bridge well inside Assam. “We have learnt the lessons from the incident and a survey of all the vulnerable bridges are being conducted so that those can be properly secured,” sources added.

Police sources said that after a lull for a few months, the United Democratic Liberation Army of Barak Valley, a militant outfit of the Riangs, are trying to become active once again. The outfit declared a unilateral cease fire in January this year, but it was withdrawn in October and the outfit started its activities by kidnapping a gateman of the Railways. But the outfit suffered a severe setback last week when five of its members were arrested in Silchar when they came to kidnap a Railway employee. But the disturbing fact is that the Riang group has joined hands with criminal gangs to indulge in unlawful activities.

Meanwhile, activities of the NSCN (I-M) have become matters of serious concern for the police and security forces in Dima Hasao district. Though the NSCN (I-M) is under cease-fire agreement with the Government of India, members of the outfit are violating the ground rules to indulge in unlawful activities in Dima Hasao. Sources revealed that the militant group issued extortion notices to a number of people in the district and in recent times, a few of the cadres of the outfit were arrested along with extortion notes and weapons.

One NSCN cadre has been arrested in connection with the killing of engineer Rajiv Pathak in Haflong, but it is still not known whether he had received any extortion notes from any militant group. “Pathak never informed the police about receiving any extortion demand,” sources added.

UNLF owns up to blast

Security personnel inspect the blast site in Imphal. File picture

Imphal, Nov. 26: Militants of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) today claimed responsibility for yesterday’s bomb blast in the heart of the city that killed an Assam Rifles jawan and wounded a shopkeeper.

The jawan, who was wounded in yesterday’s blast, died at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences here late last night. The shopkeeper is out of danger.

The improvised explosive device (IED) was planted near the gate of a water reservoir of the public health engineering department in the busy Keishampat area. It was triggered by remote control.

A patrol party from the 40 Assam Rifles battalion was resting at the site when the bomb exploded.

The UNLF’s publicity officer, M. Sak-Hen, said in a statement today that the blast was targeted at the Assam Rifles patrol party and was carried out by the “demolition squad” of its “urban guerrilla warfare team”.

The attack was in retaliation to “atrocities” committed by the Assam Rifles and the army on civilians in the name of counter-insurgency operations, it said.

It said the team took utmost caution to avoid civilian casualties.

If civilians had not mingled with the Assam Rifles personnel, at least three jawans could have been killed.

Expressing regret for injuring a civilian in the attack, the UNLF said it would continue to target central forces.

This is the second time in a month that the UNLF has attacked an Assam Rifles patrol party in the city. On October 26, its cadres had exploded an IED near the northern gate of the Kangla fort here. An Assam Rifles jawan was injured in the attack.

Despite strong pressure from the Centre and stepped up counter-insurgency operations, the UNLF central committee had announced on its foundation day, November 24, that it would continue its armed struggle. The outfit had also called for a plebiscite in 2005 to end the armed conflict in Manipur.

Taking serious note of yesterday’s attack, which came when Imphal is holding a tourism festival, police today frisked all vehicles entering the city.

A large number of foreigners are in the city at present to attend the Sangai festival and the international polo tournament that is on at Mapal Kangjeibung.

People residing around yesterday’s blast site today staged a sit-in at the spot to denounce the militant action.

Another explosion

Suspected militants exploded another IED at Bishnupur Bazar, 30km south of this city, at 7 this morning. No one was hurt and no one has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

Heavy exchange of fire reported between militant factions

Heavy exchange of fire was today reported between two Naga militant factions in interior Manipur, police said.

They said the fierce gunfight between Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isac and Muivah (NSCN-IM) began after midday at Noney area in Tamenglong district.

Casualty, if any, on either side was not known, police said, adding that forces have rushed to the hilly spot.

The two factions have clashed a number of times in the recent months on the issue of dominance in the district and over ten persons belonging to both the sides have been killed so far this year.

3 abducted by suspected militants from Mizoram

At least three persons have been abducted by suspected National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants from a place in Mamit district of Mizoram, police said today.

They were picked up yesterday near Damparengpui village in the district which is located near the

Mizoram-Bangladesh-Tripura border.

Mamit Superintendent of Police, Rodingliana Chawngthu told PTI over phone that the persons were identified as Deep Mondal, surveyor of a Delhi-based company, Sanglianthanga, a resident of Mamit who was driving the taxi and driver of another vehicle.

A combing operation was launched in the border areas.

No ransom demand had been made till this afternoon, he said.

The abductors and the captives were suspected to have crossed the border to Bangladesh, the SP said.

Huge quantities of explosives seized

Rangiya (Assam), Nov 18 : Huge quantities of explosives, including RDX, were recovered and two persons arrested in connection with it in Assam's Kamrup(Rural) district today.

Acting on a tip-off, police launched an operation in Mandakat area under Baihata Police station and seized the explosives, police said.

The operation was led by Rangiya sub-divisional police officer Rakesh Roshan.

'Garo rebels have easy access to arms'

TURA: Hasslefree and easy access to sophisticated firearms by Garo militants in Meghalaya has become a major cause for concern for the state government. Though the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militant group was once believed to have sophisticated arms only, splinter groups in the West Garo hills are also getting these firearms easily nowadays.

According to chief minister Mukul Sangma, the porous border has helped these militants groups procure weapons freely. "During several arms hauls by the security forces, we have found automatic sophisticated firearms from these militants. It proves that they (militants) have easy access to these weapons. We believe the arms are coming from the other side of the border. That's why, both the Centre and the state government have emphasized the need to strengthen the 'internal security' of the state on a priority basis," said Sangma.

Security sources said that the Garo militants, including some small and splinter groups in Meghalaya, are currently armed with a large number of AK-47s, AK-74s, AK-81s, rocket launchers, Chinese grenades, Heckler and Koch rifles, Glock guns and US-made sophisticated pistols.

"Though militant groups like Ulfa (Independent), NSCN (IM) and Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) were providing arms to Garo ultra groups earlier, now the rebels have direct access to gunrunners from Myanmar and Bangladesh," said a police official.

The official added that the Ulfa (I) faction is also helping small groups like the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) by providing them with firearms. "Ulfa (I) is selling its used firearms to the UALA," the source informed.

On Diwali night, suspected UALA ultras gunned down seven men at Gendamari in Goalpara district. Eyewitnesses said that the militants had used sophisticated arms.

The Meghalaya and Assam police departments, along with the army and the CRPF, are now running one of the biggest counter-insurgency operations against two Garo outfits - the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) - along a 68-km stretch of interstate border in southern lower Assam.

Manipuri rebel sentenced for period already spent in custody

A member of a banned Manipuri rebel group has pleaded guilty before a Delhi court, which sentenced him to jail for the period already spent in custody after he submitted that he will not indulge in any militant activities in the future.

Raj Kumar Raghunath Singh alias Ronan Aier, a member of banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), pleaded guilty before Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash and said he was no more a member of the group and his wife is a senior police officer.

Having spent over four years in custody, Singh also submitted that he wanted to lead a normal life ahead.

"Since convict Raj Kumar Raghunath Singh has pleaded guilty and is in judicial custody since June 27, 2009 and undertakes not to involve in any illegal activity further and stated as a fact that he is no more a member of any banned organisation as defined under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, my inference is that the convict be sentenced to the period already undergone by him," the court said.

Singh was charged under section 17 and 20 of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

He was accused of being an active member and self-styled captain of KYKL.

He was also accused of raising funds for committing militant acts and maintaining account in the name of fictitious person, Mairembam Anand Singh.

His name was also on the list of militants issued by the government of Manipur.

After sentencing him to jail term already undergone, the court directed that "he be set at liberty, if not required in any other case".

Six killed in militant attack in Assam

At least six persons were killed and seven others seriously injured when suspected Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants opened fire on a group of people gambling on the occasion of Diwali in Assam's Goalpara district tonight.

The armed insurgents swooped on the group of gamblers at remote Gendamari in Aagia police station and randomly fired on them from automatic weapons at around 9 PM.

Bholanath Rabha, Amarendra Rabha, Jayanta Rabha, Puran Rabha, Kalpanath Rabha and Lulu Rabha died on the spot, official sources said.

The injured were rushed to Goalpara Civil Hospital by the local people who alleged that the police came late at the site of the firing.

Meanwhile, senior police officers have rushed to the spot from the district headquarters town of Goalpara and security has been beefed up in the district following the incident, the sources said.

Goalpara district has been witnessing violence since October 20 with protests against the upcoming Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council elections between November 13 and 25 demanding exclusion of non Rabha areas from the Council.

The sources, however, ruled out that tonight's incident was connected with the Council elections.

Proscribed GNLA, based in the jungles of Garo Hills district of Meghalaya near Goalpara district, has been fighting for a separate state since 2009.

They attack security forces and civilians, trigger blasts and kidnap people to extort money.