UPRF army chief killed in exchange of fire with police

BOKAJAN: In a major development, the Karbi Anglong police reportedly gunned down the army chief of Kuki militant outfit- United People's Revolutionary Front (UPRF) in a high altitude area of Singhason hill in East Karbi Anglong on Monday evening.

As per reports, the Officer in-charge of Manja police station, Jitumoni Deka along with a team of Assam Police commandos, launched an operation in the Singhason area under Manja, resulting in a major exchange of fire with the militants. In the ensuing gun battle, UPRF chief Seikhogin Guite alias Martin Guite was wounded and later succumbed to bullet injuries. Police also recovered a cache of ammunition from the encounter site.

This development came in the backdrop of a recent viral video in which the UPRF chief along with six other cadres were seen marching freely in the Tokolangso area of Balipathar in August 22. The militants were armed with sophisticated assault rifles and the video was shot by a group of tourists who went to view the scenic Tokolangso falls which has recently gained popularity and become a major tourist spot in Karbi Anglong.

As per available reports, the UPRF is a small outfit of less than a dozen cadres based in Singhason hill of Karbi Anglong. "The main source of their finance is ginger and it is the prime crop of the Singhason belt where the Kuki community is based. They charge Rs 5,000 per truck laden with ginger. Over 7,000 such trucks laden with ginger move down the Singhason hill every year. Moreover, they carry out small-time extortion and trouble villagers in the name of food and shelter," a police officer said.

Earlier, UPRF chairman Martin Guite had expressed his willingness for negotiation with the government after a series of sustained counter-insurgency operations carried out against the outfit in 2016. Guite also wrote a letter to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal requesting him to stop operation against his organization back in 2017. The letter also mentioned his readiness for joining the peace talks and finding the middle ground through talks.

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