Insurgent Offensive: ULFA-I, NSCN(K-YA) Attack Army Camps

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: The ULFA-I launched an attack on an army camp at Kakopathar in the Tinsukia district in the wee hours on Friday, and an ULFA-NSCN (K-YA) group attacked an Assam Rifles camp at Manmao in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh around 3.30 am on Thursday. With these two attacks, the two outfits registered the launch of, as they said, 'Operation Vengeance'.

Around 12.30 am on Friday, ULFA-I militants launched a fierce attack on an army camp by hurling grenades and opening indiscriminate gunfire. The militants targeted the army's Company Operating Base (COB) at Koomsang under Kakopathar Police Station.

According to security sources, the attackers fired three rounds from Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGLs) before unleashing nearly 30 minutes of sustained gunfire using automatic weapons.

Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants arrived in a truck and opened fire on the camp before speeding away toward the forested stretches near the Assam-Arunachal border. Three Army personnel sustained minor injuries during the exchange of fire and were immediately evacuated to a nearby military hospital for treatment. No civilian casualties were reported in the incident.

According to army sources, unidentified terrorists opened fire on the Kakopathar Company location from a moving vehicle around midnight. Troops on duty retaliated promptly and effectively, taking due caution to prevent collateral damage to nearby civilian houses. The attackers reportedly fled after speculative firing using automatic weapons. Only minor abrasions were sustained by three personnel. The area has since been sensitised, and joint search operations with the Assam Police are underway to track down the perpetrators.

A truck believed to have been used in the assault was later found abandoned near Tengapani, across the border in Arunachal Pradesh. Preliminary investigations have indicated the involvement of the banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) - ULFA (I). The outfit claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it part of their ongoing "Operation Vengeance".

Earlier, a joint group of ULFA (I) and NSCN (K-YA) militants led by Makom Hachang, operation group commander of NSCN (K-YA), ambushed another Company Operating Base of the Assam Rifles in Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district around 3.30 am on Thursday, injuring two personnel before retreating into dense jungle terrain. Security officials believe the back-to-back attacks may signal a coordinated offensive by insurgent outfits operating from across the Myanmar border.

Areas adjoining Tengapani in the Namsai district and nearby Piyong, along with the Manabum area in the Changlang district of bordering Arunachal Pradesh, have often been identified as militant hideouts. These pockets, known for their dense reserve forests and riverine terrain, have long served as safe havens for insurgent groups operating along the interstate and international borders.

According to intelligence assessments, the recent attacks could also be a retaliatory move by ULFA (I) following the military operation carried out inside Myanmar earlier this year, which reportedly targeted insurgent camps used by ULFA (I) and allied groups. Several cadres were killed and infrastructure destroyed during the cross-border strikes, significantly weakening the outfit's presence in its Myanmar bases. The renewed aggression in Tinsukia and adjoining areas is being viewed as an attempt by the group to reassert its relevance and capability following those setbacks.

As of Friday evening, the situation in Kakopathar remains tense but under control. Joint forces continue to comb the area and maintain heightened surveillance along the Assam-Arunachal border to prevent further militant incursions.

Also Read: Zubeen Garg death probe: Judicial panel to receive statements from Nov 3