Assam Police on High Alert Ahead of I-Day Celebrations, Security Beefed Up in Upper Assam

Guwahati: Assam Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia today briefed the Media about security arrangements ahead of the Independence Day celebrations in the State.

DGP Saikia informed that security measures have been made stringent and also added that he is in constant correspondence with his counterparts in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh regarding security offensive and counter-insurgency ops against banned terrorist outfits in neighbouring areas of both the states.

DGP Kuladhar Saikia said, “Both Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh Police have been on high alert and we have asked them to carry out robust anti-insurgency offensives against terrorists in bordering areas of Assam. Section 144 has also been imposed in certain places in the state so that terror operatives can’t create any disturbance in the preparations for the Independence Day celebration.”

It may be mentioned that ULFA (I) in a press communiqué to the media asked the people of the state to boycott the Independence Day celebrations as a mark of protest against the Government of India and its constitution.

Meanwhile, other militant outfits who have not joined in peace talks with Government of India also called for Independence Day boycott in the NE region.

Upper Assam on High Alert

Following intelligence reports that the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) is trying to infiltrate into areas along the Assam-Nagaland border from Myanmar for disrupting the Independence Day celebrations, Security forces in Assam and particularly in the areas of Upper Assam have been on high alert.

Additional superintendent of Police (headquarters), Tinsukia, P. Sonowal told media persons that security arrangements have been beefed up aggressively before Independence Day and police check posts along with patrol parties are intensified across the region.

Additional SP Sonwal further added that “Militant groups have made several attempts to initiate terror strikes on vital targets ahead of either Independence or Republic Day. Our department has intelligence inputs regarding ULFA (I) cadres sneaking into Assam from Myanmar and this is the reason for intensifying anti-terror operations.”

Tinsukia police have already intensified operations in areas like Bordumsa, Pengeree, Kakopathar and Lekhapani near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Sonowal also informed that four additional companies of armed forces have already been deployed for NRC-related security purposes recently.

It may be mentioned that Tinsukia District in the Upper Assam area shares an inter-state border with Arunachal Pradesh while Charaideo district shares the boundary with Nagaland. The security Forces has taken these porous areas as most sensitive and high-alert zones as the Intelligence report has suggested that militants are attempting to infiltrate through these areas in order to disrupt the I-Day celebrations in Assam.