Ulfa-I, NSCN-K move closer to India

■ Rebels in Myanmar set up new camps near intl border

In what may be the major area of concern for security agencies in the northeast, the anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of AsomIndependent (Ulfa-I) and Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) have started setting up new camps in Myanmar adjoining the international border with India.

Pointing out that Myanmar Army had taken over the control of militants camps in Taga area of Myanmar by launching a massive operation in February 2019, authoritative security sources told this newspaper that the new camps have come to their notice recently when some of the new recruits of Ulfa-I fled these camps and crossed over to India.

Indicating that these new recruits may surrender before the security agencies soon, security sources said that militants holed up in these new camps were facing acute shortage of food grains because of the ongoing global lockdown.

Admitting that security agencies are yet to ascertain the overall strength of militants in these new camps, security sources said that Ulfa-I has been trying to regroup the outfit by taking the advantage of present corona crisis. It has come to notice when in April this year, Assam police, led by Charaideo District Superintendent of Police Anand Mishra, in a joint operation with Army, had apprehended five hardcore cadres of Ulfa-I from the house of one Bhuvan Gogoi.

Disclosing that a top UlfaI leader Drishti Rajkhowa narrowly escaped a police raid in Garo hills of Meghalaya recently, security sources said that he was operating from a camp of Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) which was raided by the security forces. Informing that security forces recovered a large number of extortion notices that were served in Garo hills of

Meghalaya by the GNLA, security sources said that Rajkhowa was operating and carrying out his subversive activities from Meghalaya.

Though his role in the ongoing recruitment of new cadres by Ulfa-I was not known, security sources did not rule out the possibility of his proactive involvement in Ulfa-I’s plan to regroup the outfit from his hideout in Meghalaya.

It is significant that over 500 personnel of Myanmar Army had launched an operation and dismantled the hideouts of Indian insurgent groups while taking over physical control of NSCN-K headquarters in February 2019.