Assam (Insurgency North East): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2002

Assam on January 1 announced a month’s safe passage to United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) terrorists, and offered to hold unconditional peace talks to end insurgency in the State, which is two decades-old. "As a New Year offer, we want the militants to shun the path of violence and come to the negotiating table for peace talks… Militants can feel free to come to their families on the New Year provided they don’t bring arms and indulge in violent activities", Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said in Guwahati. The Union government should take up with all sincerity the issue of Assam’s militant groups taking shelter in neighbouring countries," Gogoi added, referring to the fact that the terrorist outfits operate out of Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. "But unfortunately that is not happening, which is really sad," he opined. Read less...

The ULFA on the same day said there was no scope for peace talks with the Union government under the provisions of the Indian Constitution. The ULFA had earlier expressed its willingness to hold talks if the government agreed to three of its preconditions — a foreign venue, negotiations under United Nations’ supervision and discussions on its main demand of independence. The Union government said that the ULFA’s last two preconditions could not be met. Read less...

According to media reports, the Union Home Ministry has directed security forces based in Assam and Meghalaya to be on the alert to the possibility of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) setting up bases in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. The red alert was sounded consequent to the expiry of Bhutan government’s deadline to the proscribed outfit to shift its camps from Bhutanese territories. Read less...

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, in Guwahati, on January 2, his government does not want to take any decision on the proposed Bodoland Tribal Council (BTC) in a hurried manner. Such a step could hurt the sentiments of the non-Bodos co-habiting the area along with the Bodos and create "administrative and other social problems" in Assam, Gogoi said. Commenting on the January 21-deadline set by the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) to the Assam Government, he said fixing deadlines would not solve the Bodo problem and the Bodo leaders should understand that the sentiments of non-Bodos must not be ignored, if they wanted durable peace. Read less...

Delayed news reports said that an ULFA terrorist was killed during an encounter at the Deochunga reserve forests of Darrang district on January 2. A gun and some ammunition were seized after the encounter. The slain terrorist has been identified as a 'corporal' of the outfit and active in the district in December 2001. Read less...

According to media reports, the Royal Government of Bhutan has formally confirmed the dismantling of four camps, including a military training camp, by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the country in response to the deadline set by the government there. A spokesperson of the Royal Bhutanese Embassy indicated that officials of the Royal Government have physically verified the spot where the camps were located and found that sheds have been demolished and camps dismantled by the ULFA. The abandoned camps included one military training camp near Samdrup Jongkhar. According to the spokesperson, the ULFA first abandoned its Nangri camp in November 2001. The camp is located at a place called Pemagattal. The camps located near Samdrup Jongkhar were, however, dismantled only on December 31, 2001, he added. Two other camps vacated included the Goburkonda camp located near the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary and the Deori camp in Samdrup Jongkhar. The District Administrator in Samdrup Jongkhar visited the area on December 31, 2001, and is reportedly confirmed that the camp has been abandoned by ULFA. Read less...

Statistical indicators of terrorist violence in Assam has indicated a downtrend with 485 incidents of violence recorded in 2001 as compared to 643 incidents registered in 2000. A news report on January 3, citing a senior State police official, also revealed that the total casualties in these incidents of violence fell to 654 in 2001 as compared to 820 in 2000. Kidnappings and abductions too registered a decline with 67 cases registered in 2001 as compared to 111 in 2000. While the terrorists killed in 2001 declined to 307 as compared to 328 in the past year, casualties suffered by security forces in the State increased to 86 in 2001, as compared to 86 in the past year. The number of civilian casualties in 2001 has also declined to 261 as compared to 412 in 2000. Security forces arrested 912 terrorists, seized 379 weapons and 6,860 rounds of ammunition and recovered cash amounting to over Rs 4 million in 2001. Among the insurgent groups, terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) were responsible for 187 incidents of violence, killing 146 persons, including 23 security forces personnel. 108 terrorists of the outfit were also killed while 193 others were arrested. Terrorists of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were responsible for 186 incidents of violence in which 95 persons were killed. The outfit lost 143 of its terrorists who were killed and 569 others who were arrested. The Isak- Muivah and Khaplang factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM; NSCN-K) were behind 10 incidents of terrorist violence while the Dima Halom Daogah (DHD) and the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) were responsible for 20 and 36 incidents of violence respectively. Terrorists of the UPDS, killed 45 people, including eight police personnel and abducted three persons in Karbi Anglong district during 2001. Sixteen UPDS terrorists were killed and 23 others were arrested in 2001. Terrorists of the North Cachar Hills district-based DHD killed 20 persons including 13 police personnel and abducted eight persons, while five of its activists were killed and 25 others were arrested. The two NSCN factions, which have cease-fire agreements with the Union government, together killed 20 persons, including 14 security personnel and abducted three persons in Assam. Seven terrorists of the two factions were killed and eighteen others were arrested. Read less...

Speaking to newsmen on January 4, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the State government would continue efforts to initiate dialogue with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to find an amicable solution to the insurgency problem in the State. He added that the process would continue despite ULFA’s rejection of the State government’s January 1, offer of ‘safe passage’ for its cadre if they wished to meet their families in the State during the New Year. Read less...

Suspected National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) terrorists on January 5 shot dead a timber smuggler in the Deo Shankar forest under the Bagaribari police station limits near Bilasipara, reports said. Read less...

Talking to a news agency on January 5, the Bodo Liberation Tiger's (BLT) Vice Chariman, Kamal Musahary said that in the next rounds of tripartite peace talks, to be held with the Union government and the Assam State government in New Delhi on January 9-10, the draft agreement for creation of the Bodoland Teritorial Council (BTC) under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution is likely to be finalized. He added that the outfit is likely to take its future course of action after this round of peace negotiations. This has been necessitated since the ongoing ceasefire agreement between the outfit and the Government will come to an end on January 21. Kamal Musahary also said that the outfit hopes that the Assam State government will give its consent to the proposed BTC adding that the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi had assured the BLT recently that his government would give its consent for creation of the BTC under the Sixth Schedule. He added that the since the process of peace negotiation has completed almost two-and-a-half years, the outfit now wants the draft agreement to be given a final shape. Read less...

A terrorist of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was killed in an encounter with security forces at Dihing in Sonitpur district on January 8. The terrorist was killed in retaliatory fire after NDFB terrorists attacked a security force party in the area. The slain terrorist’s associates managed to escape after the attack. A revolver and some documents were recovered from the slain terrorist. Read less...

Five unidentified terrorists looted more than one and a half lakh rupees from the Dena Bank on Rangagora Road, Tinsukia, on January 9, reports said. There were no security personnel at the bank and employees and customers offered no resistance, reports said. Read less...

Nagaon police arrested an arms trafficker on January 9, from the Dimaruguri area and recovered six detonators and three gelatine sticks, besides some fuse wire from his possession. Read less...

Troops of the Indian Army shot dead two suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) terrorists and recovered a 9 mm revolver, assorted ammunition, some communication equipment, five detonators and some incriminating documents, in Bhitribari village, Kokrajhar district, on January 9, an Army release said. Read less...

In another incident, a United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) conduit was killed in an encounter with the Army in the Dihing Reserve Forest, Tinsukia district. A bottle grenade, a magazine of AK-47 and seven live cartridges were recovered from the encounter site. Read less...

Police killed three terrorists, including a National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) ‘commander’, at a place 30km away from Diphu, Karbi Anglong district, on January 10. The other two terrorists belonged to the Dima Halong Daoga (DHD) Read less...

According to newspaper reports India and Bhutan in their effort to strengthen bilateral ties and check activities of militants held the last round of the border district coordination meeting at Jalpaiguri between January 7 to 9. The Joint Secretary of the Bhutanese Home Ministry, Dasho Tshering Wangda led the Bhutanese delegation, while, the Indian delegation was led by the Commissioner of Jalpaiguri division, AK Jain. The meeting decided to take up immediate steps for the identification of the international boundary with realignment of the pillars which were missing and to share information about militants and criminals. The Government of Bhutan decided to construct a stone wall along the border, not to step movement of the local people, but for security reasons as the border town Phuentsholing is being used by the militant groups active in West Bengal and Assam. Read less...

One person was killed by two United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) terrorists at Ram Chorang village, under the Bokajan police station limits, on January 12. Read less...

Security force personnel on January 14 raided and destroyed a camp of the proscribed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Cahkrashila reserve forest in Dhubri district and rescued a businessman, a resident of Kokrajhar, who was abducted recently for ransom by NDFB terrorists Read less...

An estimated twenty heavily armed terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) massacred thirteen civilians at Dailongjhar in Bongaigon district on the night of January 15. While one of the victim was of Bihari origin, all the others were of Bengali origin. News reports said that the NDFB terrorists had come to the village, where a festival was on, looking for terrorists of a rival outfit, Bengali Tiger Force (BTF). They initially pulled away two youth away from the site of the celebrations and killed them. Immediately thereafter, they returned and opened fire on the crowd killed eleven more. Five others were injured in the attack. Security forces have launched massive combing operations in the area. Read less...

Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, on January 17 reviewed the law and order situation in the State during a high level meeting with senior police and civil authorities following the killing of 13 persons near Bijni on the night of January 15. He also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed and an amount of Rs 10,000 each to those injured, from the CM’s relief fund. Read less...

A media report on January 18, citing intelligence sources, said that the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is preparing to launch its first women's battalion, by mid-March 2002 at one of its bases in Bhutan. This would make it the outfit’s ninth battalion, at least two of which are already operating out of Bhutan. Each battalion is expected to comprise at least four companies and each company four platoons. ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, is himself likely to announce the setting up of this battalion with initial cadre strength of 150 members to be headed by a top lady member of the outfit, the reports said. The decision was reported to have been taken in 2000. Intelligence sources added that recruitment has been completed and weaponry procured for the new unit. Read less...

According to media reports, suspected terrorists on January 18 shot at a senior activist of Nalbari district unit of Manab Adhikar Swangram Samiti (MASS), Apurba Pathak at Kendukuchi village under Nalbari police station. Read less...

The report also added that Indian security officials discount the official Bhutanese claim that the ULFA has closed down four of its camps in the country and pulled out in compliance with an agreement reached with the royal government in June 2001. Indian security officials are reported to have said that the ULFA may have simply relocated their camps and cadres by closing down the four camps and merging the cadres with others in the rest of the bases. Read less...

According to delayed reports, security forces on January 19 killed a hardcore United liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) terrorist, self-styled major of the 7th battalion, in an encounter at Longkham village under Baithalangsu police station in Karbi Anglong. Read less...

Following allegations made by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief K S Sudersan, senior church leaders of Meghalaya have asked him to come out with substantial corroboration on the claims made by him regarding the active support of missionaries in aiding and abetting terrorism in the north-eastern region. Earlier, Sudersan speaking in Guwahati on January 20, had accused churches in the North east, especially Baptist churches, of providing arms and other logistic support to the various insurgent outfits in the region. Read less...

Four terrorists belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were killed in an encounter on January 20 at the Toli village near Agomani on the Assam-Bangladesh border. Read less...

At least 16 persons, including nine women and three children, were killed and five others injured as approximately 40 armed terrorists belonging to the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) encircled the Jangalbari Paharpur village, forced the villagers to line up before killing them on January 21. The village is on the border with Bhutan and about 140 km west of Guwahati. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the massacre. Read less...

In another significant development, the All Bodo Christian Committee (ABCCC) Vice-president, Binai Khungur Basumatari, accused the Army of carrying out night raids, and brutally assaulting Christian people attached to the Dwimujuli Baptist Church. The Army is said to have reportedly confined youths within the Church building on the night of January 12. Read less...

A suspected terrorist of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was killed in an encounter at No 8 Ripuride in the Raimana Reserve Forest area near Gosssaigoan on January 22. Two hand grenades, four rounds of AK-56 ammunition and a 9 mm revolver with ammunition were also recovered from the encounter site. Read less...

Media reports have indicated that non-Bodos, living in the Bodo-dominated areas of Bongaigaon, Nalbari and Darrang districts, have started leaving for safer places following two separate massacres carried out by terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on January 15 and 21. In these massacres, 30 persons, all of non-bodo origin, were killed while several others were injured. Meanwhile, an injured victim of the January 21 massacre in Udalguri, died on January 23. Read less...

Minister of State for Home Pradyut Bordoloi, is expected to submit a detailed report on the massacre to the Chief Minister shortly. Police have been asked to be alert in view of the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, as twelve terrorist groups of the North-east including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), NDFB and Dima Halim Daogah (DHD) have called for a boycott of the celebrations. Three columns of Army personnel have been deployed in the Udalguri area while troops also took up positions at several vital installations including the Guwahati Refinery. Read less...

Security has been tightened in all sensitive areas of Assam in the wake of the massacre near Udalguri by terrorists belonging to National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) on January 21, even as the death toll increased to eighteen following death of two injured persons in Guwahati. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on January 22 blamed the Centre for its failure to take up a diplomatic initiative to persuade the Royal Government of Bhutan to flush out terrorists from Assam hiding in the in that country. He also said that Assam had sent a proposal to the Centre to construct a boundary wall along the Indo-Bhutan border to prevent the movement of the terrorists. Pointing out the difficulties involved in counter-insurgency operations, especially with regard to guarding the border, he said that the police and security agencies have been directed to chalk out strategies to check movement of terrorists in the bordering areas as far as possible. Read less...

The Assam Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), M Mohanraj, who is camping at Jangalburima village, according to media reports, said that terrorists numbering around 15 wearing Army fatigues arrived in the village, called out the villagers to an open space, lined them up and sprayed bullets from close range. He also said that the terrorists came from NDFB’s Zabrang camp, situated in the Daifam sub-division of Bhutan, 16 kms from the international border. He also termed the attack as part of the NDFB’s calculated ethnic cleansing drive. Read less...

The bullet-ridden body of a surrendered ULFA (SULFA) member, was recovered at Pulibor in the Rahdoi Pukhuri area under Mathurapur police station in Sivasagar district on January 22. Read less...

The President of All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), Rabi Ram Narzary, strongly condemned the killing of innocent non-Bodo villagers, and said that it was aimed at derailing the ongoing tripartite peace negotiations to solve the Bodo problem. He criticised those quarters who have been trying to put the blame on the ABSU for the killing of innocent non-Bodo since the January 15 massacre in the Bijni area. He stated that the Bodo people had isolated the terrorists belonging to the NDFB and it would be a politically motivated move to try to link the ABSU with the outfit. Read less...

According to media reports, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on January 23 said that his government was ready to vest responsibility to the Axom Xatra Mahaxabha (AXM), the apex body of some 700 Vaishnavite monasteries in the State, to act as an intermediary between the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the government, provided the terrorist group let its views on the idea known. He, however, made it clear that any possible dialogue can be only between the ULFA and the Centre as the demands raised by the rebel group include certain things that cannot be decided at the level of the State Government. Gogoi also made it clear that his government would accept in principle the proposal to create a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in accordance with the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule to provide "maximum autonomy" to the agitating Bodo tribes in Assam, provided the new Bodo Accord had clear provisions to safeguard the interests of the non-Bodos living within the proposed BTC area. Read less...

According to media reports, unidentified terrorists on January 23 killed the Vice-chairman of the United Peoples Democratic Society (UPDS) Gandhiram Terang in the Karbi Anglong district. Teron was one of the UPDS leaders in favour of talks with the Government and it is suspected that he was killed at the behest of those opposing such a dialogue. Police have recovered empty cartridges of AK-47 rifles from the site of the incident. Read less...

Milik Baruah, the mother of Paresh Baruah, self-styled commander-in-chief of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), has urged people to work for a violence-free society in which all citizens could live in peace without fear. She asked terrorists to shun violence and extend their co-operation towards building a strong and peaceful Assam. Read less...

Minister of State for Home Affairs Pradyut Bordoloi said on January 23 that security along the 265-long Indo-Bhutan border would be tightened to stop terrorists from repeating the massacre similar to that of January 21. He also appealed to the people to strengthen the vigilance in their villages and also to form peace committees in consultation of district and sub-divisional government agencies. Read less...

The All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) while terming the January 21 attack by the NDFB as acts of anti-national youths, argued that the entire Bodo community should not be blamed and appealed to the people not to panic following the violence. Read less...

In a press statement released on January 24, the NDFB claimed responsibility for the massacre and added that it was in retaliation to alleged Army atrocities on the Bodos in Daimujuli village on January 12. In another development, the North East Students Coordination Committee's secretary general, Mr Surjya Baruah on behalf of the Assam State unit, in a press release on January 24, warned the NDFB to rein in their terrorist activities and to refrain from all kinds of subversive activities on the linguistic minority community in the future. Read less...

Two people, injured in the January 19 Barigaon massacre, died of their injuries on January 24. As reported earlier, suspected terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) carried out the massacre. With the two deaths on January 24, the casualties in the massacre has risen to 19. Read less...

In another incident, suspected terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) ambushed a security forces patrol party at Milan Bazar in Barpeta district. There were no casualties. Read less...

Suspected terrorists of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) fired rocket propelled grenades on a police camp at Nagarbera in Kamrup district on January 25. A policeman was injured in the attack. Read less...

Two civilians were injured in a bomb explosion at Howrahghat. No further details were available. Read less...

The Police successfully defused a hand-made bomb, which was lying abandoned near a drain at the Ward No 3 area of Gauripur on January 26. Read less...

According to media reports, the Bihar Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, has written a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Union Home Minister L K Advani demanding appropriate action to ensure security of the people of Bihar living in Assam. Addressing newspersons at Guwahati on January 27, the Bihar Panchayat and Rural Development Minister, Upendra Verma, said that the Chief Minister had urged the Centre to discuss the issue with the Assam government. Read less...

In another explosion in Golaghat, Upper Assam, ten security force personnel were injured when ULFA terrorists used a remote-controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to blast their bus. The security force convoy of five buses were going from Khatkhatia to the Meerapani area under Farkating police station, when the land mine exploded damaging the last vehicle and injuring 10 personnel. While the terrorists escaped into the jungle, police recovered a remote-control device. Following the incident, police has tightened security along the Assam-Nagaland border suspecting the ULFA terrorists to have crossed over to Nagaland after causing the blast. Read less...

Security agencies picked up 21 suspected individuals from the Nagarbera area of Kamrup district for interrogation in connection with the attack on a police party near Nagarbeda in Kamrup district on January 27. Two police officers were killed in the attack which security forces said was carried out by suspected terrorists of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The opposition Asom Gana Parishad demanded a judicial inquiry into the recent series of violence. Read less...

Twelve people were injured when suspected terrorists belonging to United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) lobbed a powerful grenade at a crowded street in Diphu town on January 27. A massive combing operation has been launched in the town to arrest the terrorists. Read less...

Two police officers, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were killed in a landmine blast by terrorists belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on January 27 when the police party, led by DSP Debajit Pathak, was returning from Nagarbeda village in Kamrup district after a search operation. Read less...

Two terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) were arrested from Bogijuli near Rangapara police station on January 27 while they were collecting illegal tax from the Nepali community living in the area. Read less...

News reports said that an encounter occurred between army troops and terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) at Paglahat Lalmati in Dhubri district. No further details were available. Read less...

Police sources said that the terrorists might have laid trap on the police team after intercepting a message sent by the DSP to the Boko police station about his return journey route- the Balapara road, which is normally avoided for a much safer route via Dhoopdhora. Read less...

State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on January 28, that the State Government is planning to involve common citizens while gathering intelligence inputs about terrorists. He clarified this was being done since the State’s financial resources are not sufficient to recruit more people into the intelligence agencies. Read less...

A hard-core terrorist belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was killed in an encounter at the Dibru-Saikhowa reserved forest near Doomdooma on January 29. Read less...

Meanwhile, delayed reports said that two terrorists of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland NSCN-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) were arrested from Lower Lodi near Haflong on January 29. The two terrorists, residents of Manipur, confessed that they were sent by the leadership to Assam to serve extortion notices and collect money from locals of the area. Some extortion notes have also been recovered from the possession of the arrested terrorists. Read less...

Police arrested three persons after a gun battle near the Santipur police station in Karbi Anglong district on January 29 and also recovered 100 detonators and four packets of RDX. Read less...

The Kamrup Police on January 29 detained 15 more persons for interrogation in connection with the Nagarbera blast, which killed two police personnel. With this, the number of persons detained for interrogation has risen to 40. Read less...

Goalpara police foiled an attempt by terrorists belonging to United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)'s to abduct the son of a former State legislator Afzalur Rahman, from Jaleswar area on January 30 and arrested 11 persons. Media reports said that the arrested persons were purchasing a Yamaha motorcycle, supposedly to be used for kidnapping. Read less...

In another development, media reports quoting the Minister of State for Home, Pradyut Bordoloi on January 30 claimed that the Border Security Force (BSF) had already carried out a survey based on a proposal for the deployment of BSF along the 265 kms of virtually unprotected Assam-Bhutan border. Read less...

In another incident unidentified gunmen killed a surrendered ULFA (SULFA) leader Ajoy Roy at his residence at Kayasthapara under Rangjuli police station in Goalpara district at 8.45 p.m. on January 30. Read less...

Media reports indicate that the Union Home Minister L.K. Advani on January 30 assured Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, that the Centre would soon take a decision regarding deployment of a 'dedicated force' to guard the 262 km long Indo-Bhutan border in the State. Read less...

The Chief Minister had requested the Union Home Minister for 60 additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for the State and asked the centre to undertake a special recruitment drive to recruit youths from the State into the Army and other Central security and paramilitary forces. He also demanded the home minister to make arrangement for advance payment of security related expenditure in place of the current practice of reimbursement by the Centre after the State Government initially incurs the expenditure. The Chief Minister also urged the Centre to prepare a scheme for modernisation of Assam Police. Read less...

The minister pointed out that the police and the security forces were fighting terrorism with their hands tied because of terrorist bases in the neighbouring country, Bhutan and expressed concern at the Central Government’s failure to provide adequate forces. The Minister also revealed that efforts were on to strengthen the Village Defence Organisation to make it more effective and that the organisation was playing a vital role in dealing with terrorism at the grass-root level. Read less...

A news report on January 31 citing official sources said that the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) have come to an agreement to launch joint operations against security forces. The sources added that two outfits’ leadership had signed an agreement to this effect before January 26, 2002. The agreement also covers joint extortion of funds from the selected regions of the State. Read less...

In another encounter, a terrorist of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was killed at the Upper Diring area of Sonitpur district along the State’s border with Arunachal Pradesh on January 31. Some associates of the slain terrorist managed to escape during the encounter. Arms, ammunition and several incriminating documents were seized after the encounter. Read less...

In another operation on January 31, an ULFA terrorist was arrested from Garpara in Dibrugarh district. A revolver with some ammunition and incriminating documents were also seized from the arrested terrorist. Read less...

Suspected terrorists of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) killed a the Sonitpur ‘district chairman’ of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) Shanti Basumatary at Gajenpathar under Gohpur police station on the night of January 31. Read less...

The Kamrup police have so far arrested four persons in connection with Nagarbera bomb blast of January 27. Police today picked up seven more persons for interrogation. Read less...

Three terrorists of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were killed in an encounter near Boko in Kamrup district on January 31. Some other terrorists are reported to have managed to escape during the encounter. Some incriminating documents, radio sets and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were seized from the site of the encounter. Security forces said that the terrorists were of the outfit’s Enigma group which was involved in the killing of a senior police officer Devajit Dutta, while he was travelling along the Boko-Nalbari road on January 27. Read less...

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, speaking at the open session of the 17th Assam State conference of the Communist Party of India, Marxist CPI (M) in Guwahati on January 31, accused Pakistan of fomenting trouble in the country through the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). He said that the ISI was backing terrorist outfits including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in Assam and the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) in West Bengal to engage in subversive activities in the region. The ISI was helping militant outfits in the region or else how one would explain the presence of arms in the hands of the KLO activists in West Bengal? Bhattacharya asked. Read less...