ga rebels attack Assam Rifles camp

A group of 35 NSCN (K) rebels attacked the camp at Tirap in the Indo-Myanmar border. However, there was no casualty reported. Around 70 empty cartidges of AK-47 rifles along with un-exploded bombs were recovered from the site

Our Correspondent

& Agencies

Itagar, June 7: Suspected NSCN (K) militants opened fire in an Assam Rifles (AR) camp at remote Lazu in Tirap district on Sunday morning, police said.

 superintendent of police Dr Ajit Kumar Singla informed.

 "The AR personnel, who were on alert as per prior intelligence report, retaliated which compelled the militants to flee under the cover of darkness," Singla said adding, cross firing from both the sides lasted for about ten minutes.

Around 70 empty cartidges of AK-47 rifles along with un-exploded bombs were recovered from the site, he said adding, a massive search operation has been conducted in the area after the incident.

This is the second incident of ambush by NSCN (K) after 18 soldiers of 6 Dogra infantry regiment died in an ambush in Manipur's Chandel district on June 4 last.

The NSCN-K on March last walked out of the 14-year-old ceasefire with the Centre.

The newly-floated United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW), a conglomerate of United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), NSCN-K, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) and tiol Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbojit), which has claimed the responsibility of Manipur killing, is the new me of terror in the Northeast.

The recent resurgence of the NSCN-K has left security officials concerned.

"The NSCN-K always had control over other militant outfits operating in the region. Most of the militants in the northeast use NSCN-K camps in Myanmar to train their cadres. They also had a role in ferrying and supplying of arms to other militant outfits," said a senior official of the Assam Police Special Branch.

He said the formation of a new umbrella group -- United Liberation Front of the Western South East Asia (UNLFW) -- will also have larger ramification in the region.

Meanwhile, the Assam, galand, Manipur and Aruchal Pradesh governments have sounded an alert across the states.

While Manipur had already sealed its border with Myanmar, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has urged the Centre to take up with Myanmar the issue of a joint operation against the militants.

Assam's Additiol Director General of Police (Special Branch) P. Bhattacharya said the NSCN-K or the UNLFW "might target Assam as well and it is very easy for them to enter Assam from Tirap and Changlang through Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Tinsukia districts".