Suspected ULFA (I) insurgent nabbed in Assam's Dibrugarh

Guwahati: A suspected cadre of the proscribed non-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom was nabbed on Thursday in Upper Assam's Dibrugarh district.

The cadre was nabbed after the Army and Dibrugarh police jointly launched an operation when they received information about the presence of insurgents in the area. The suspected insurgent has been identified as Jantu Baruah, son of late Bulan Chandra Baruah, resident of Bailung Bheti, Tingkhong, Dibrugarh district.

A 7.65mm Pistol with a magazine and live round of ammunition, two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), materials used for making IEDs, and one mobile phone were recovered during the operation. Official sources informed that the two IEDs will be disposed off by the Bomb Disposal Team of the Indian Army at the Polo ground near Paltan Bazar in Guwahati city.

ULFA talks on hold:

United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed on April 7, 1979, by Bhimakanta Buragohain, Rajiv Rajkonwar alias Arabinda Rajkhowa, Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, Samiran Gogoi alias Pradip Gogoi, Bhadreshwar Gohain and Paresh Baruah at the Rang Ghar in Sibsagar to establish a "sovereign socialist Assam" through an armed struggle. Although the Government has appealed the ULFA's military wing to join talks in the aftermath of the signing of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) treaty with Bodo insurgents, the talks are on hold at the moment. With the pressing issue of the Covid-19 on hand, nations have chosen to seal international borders, and thus, it is unlikely that the talks will come to a conclusion in the near future.

Meanwhile, AB Mathur, a 1975-batch IPS officer designated as interlocutor, remains confident of inking a decisive pact with the separatist body. While participating in a book release event held in India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi, peace interlocutor AB Mathur said that centre's discussions with the pro-talks faction of ULFA were in its "last stage."

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