Assam (Insurgency North East): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2006

According to Sentinel, Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, on January 1 announced a safe-passage offer for all United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres from January 7 to 20. Speaking to the media in Guwahati, Gogoi said, "The State Government is ready to offer safe-passage to all leaders and cadres of the ULFA from January 7 to 20 during which they can come unarmed and meet their near and dear ones." He further said, ""The police will be instructed not to harass ULFA cadres in their movement during that period. The militants will also be allowed to go back to their hideouts freely." Read less...

The ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa, in a statement on January 1, ruled out holding direct peace talks with New Delhi unless the Government released some of their senior jailed leaders. He said, "A large number of our central executive committee leaders are currently in jail. We cannot take a final decision on holding talks with the government in the absence of majority of our senior leaders who are imprisoned." He further said, "The government has slowed down on its initiative to start peace negotiations and instead stepped up military action against our cadres. It would be wrong on the part of New Delhi to presume that we would sit tight and join the peace talks if such actions continue." Read less...

Army sources in Assam, however, said that the outfit has launched an extortion drive in separate districts. “We have specific intelligence inputs from various agencies that ULFA has launched another extortion campaign under cover of the peace process. And now this safe passage offer will boost their confidence further because our hands will be tied during that period,” a senior army officer said. Read less...

The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) ‘chairman’, Arabinda Rajkhowa, in the outfit’s mouthpiece Freedom, reacting to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s announcement of a safe passage for the outfit’s cadres during the Bihu festivities said that the Union Government is playing a ‘dangerous game’ by “talking of peace and unleashing the armed forces on its unsuspecting cadre at the same time”. “We will not sit idle in anticipation of the start of talks,” he further said. Rajkhowa claimed that security forces were continuing operations against the ULFA in Arunachal Pradesh and several districts of Assam, including in Lakhimpur, Sadiya, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Morigaon and Goalpara. Read less...

According to Telegraph, unidentified militants abducted Lila Kanta Deori, manager of Subansiri Gaonlia Bank’s Panigaon branch, from a place between Tarajuli and Pathalipahar in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on January 3. Further details of the incident were not available. Read less...

The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)-backed People’s Consultative Group (PCG), on January 3, accused the Union Government of indulging in a "misinformation campaign" and undoing the progress made so far in the peace talks. Responding to remarks made by Union Home Secretary, V.K. Duggal, on January 2 that the PCG was to blame for the delay in beginning the second round of talks, PCG member Lachit Bordoloi said: "We are really surprised. The PCG has all along been eager to know when the next round of talks would be held. Such a misinformation campaign, I am afraid, will only defeat the campaign for peace." Read less...

On January 8, Dibrugarh district police arrested four persons, including a woman identified as Dipali Gohain, for having links with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) from Chabua, according to Telegraph. According to official sources, the arrested had accompanied ULFA militants on a ‘picnic’ on January 2. Read less...

According to Sentinel, the Central Reserve Police Force personnel arrested Tongeeh Nongloda, 'publicity secretary' of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), from Dilai in the Karbi Anglong District on January 9 for reportedly carrying a 9mm pistol. Nongloda was detained at the Bokajan police station. Commenting on the arrest, the outfit’s 'joint secretary' Ozaru Mukrang said that 20 members of the outfit had been allowed to carry arms after the cease-fire. "Later, we requested the government to issue the order to four more cadres and the Special Branch Headquarters gave the green signal for it, although the licenses have not been issued as yet" Mukrang claimed. He further said that Nongloda was among the four persons "permitted" by the authorities to carry arms. Read less...

The Cachar district-based unit of All Assam Bengali Youth Students’ Federation, in a recent memorandum to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, said that Meitei militants are involved in activities such as extortion, abduction for ransom, torture and even killing of civilians in the Cachar-Manipur border areas. The federation said that Manipur-based militant groups "are gaining in strength and power as their coffers are being filled with two per cent of the salary of the State Government employees and around 30 to 60 per cent of the Central funds meant for development projects." Read less...

According to Sentinel, the Karbi Anglong district police released the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) 'publicity secretary', Tongeeh Nongloda, and two other cadres who had been arrested by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on the night of January 9 on charges of cease-fire violation. However, the personal security officer for Nongloda, Langroiso Terang, is still under detention. After his release, Nongloda said, ""In so far as violation of ceasefire is concerned, the Government is found on the wrong foot more often than not. CRPF personnel who are new in Karbi Anglong district know nothing about pro-talk UPDS which is under a ceasefire agreement with the Government." Read less...

Hindu reports that the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has intimated the Assam Government that the ‘28th Battalion’ of the ULFA has served an extortion notice of Rupees 5000 million on the company's corporate office at Nazira in the Sibsagar district. Read less...

On January 15, suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants triggered an explosion targeting the Oil India Limited pipeline at Nilibari under Dhaligaon police station in the Chirang district, according to Assam Tribune. However, no major damage was reported. Read less...

The ULFA in its mouthpiece Freedom on January 15 said the outfit expects "sincere interest and commitment from the Government of India for establishing lasting peace in Assam instead of any enticement of safe passage or general amnesty." The mouthpiece further said, "The puppet Assam Government is trying to grasp political advantage by selling old wine in new bottles by sidetracking the core demand for the peace process." Read less...

According to Telegraph, a United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militant was killed on January 16 in an encounter with security forces (SF) at Santipur in the Tinsukia district. A civilian and one SF personnel were injured in the encounter. Read less...

Hindi-speaking villagers living along the border of Assam’s Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts, under the banner of the Assam Bhojpuri Yuba Chhatra Parishad have sent an intimation to the State Government on January 16 seeking protection from the extortion drive by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in the area, according to Telegraph. Unidentified sources said that the NDFB’s demand notes, ranging from Rupees 30,000 to Rupees 50,000, signed by a self-styled "collection-in-charge" Lt. D. Dethsrang have been distributed among villagers asking them "take part in the peace process between the outfit and the government of India by donating money to the revolutionary treasury of NDFB." Read less...

According to Telegraph, the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), active in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam, has decided to drop its main demand for an autonomous state and instead settled for additional powers to the existing autonomous council. The outfit’s 'general secretary', Saiding Eh, told Telegraph on January 17 that the new set of proposals, which include granting of special financial, legal and political powers to the existing district council, would be placed before the Union Government during the next round of talks tentatively slated for the end of January 2006. “We want more powers for the council,” Eh said. He also said that the outfit would also seek direct funding from all the ministries instead of the money being routed through Assam Government and an end to all interference of the State Government in the council’s activities. Read less...

The Assam Government has entrusted Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) Khagen Sarma to verify the authenticity of the Rupees 5000 million extortion demand note reported to have been issued by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to the Oil and Natural Gas Commission recently. Read less...

According to Sentinel, Jatin Baruah, a militant belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was killed in an encounter at Nahoroni Santipur village under Doomdooma police station of Tinsukia district recently. A soldier belonging to the 16 Grenadier of the Army and a civilian, identified as Puspa Sarmah, were also injured in the encounter. A 9 mm pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain militant. Read less...

In a separate incident, suspected militants of the All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) killed a civilian, Keshob Rana of Kachamari Hridimbapur village under Merapani police station in the Golaghat district. According to police sources, the armed militants abducted Rana from his residence and later shot him dead near the banks of river Doyang. Read less...

The Assam Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) Khagen Sarma has confirmed that the extortion letter demanding Rupees 5000 million from the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) was served by the ULFA. Talking to Sentinel on January 18 Sarma said, "During technical examination it has been found that the demand note is of the ULFA. Had the demand note been not from the ULFA the rebel group would have issued a denial as soon as the news was published by the media, but it hasn’t yet." Read less...

The ULFA backed People’s Consultative Group (PCG) has expressed disappointment over the lack of momentum in the peace process to bring the outfit to the negotiation table. PCG member Lachit Bordoloi said on January 18 that the Prime Minister failed to maintain the spirit of the first round of talks with the PCG. Bordoloi further said that in the second round of talks, issues like release of the central committee members of the ULFA, finding the whereabouts of the ULFA cadres missing since the operations by the Royal Bhutan Army and restraining the security forces involved in the operations against the ULFA were to be discussed but the entire process is delayed because of the failure of the Government to convene the meeting. Read less...

According to Telegraph, ten persons, including eight personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), were injured in a grenade attack by suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants at the entrance of the Guwahati Refinery at Noonmati in Guwahati city on January 20. Read less...

Writer Indira Goswami, who has been facilitating talks between the ULFA and the Union Government said, "The government is likely to give the date for the meeting within two days. We are hopeful about the process being taken to its logical conclusion." She further said, "ULFA is upset over the delay. But we will continue to make efforts." Read less...

According to Sentinel, United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres shot dead a trader, Iswar Chand Jain, at Sonari in the Sivasagar district on January 21. Read less...

On January 21, ULFA militants blew up a power tower of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) at Bhoju in the Sibsagar district. On the same day, ULFA militants blew up a transformer at Konwar Gaon near Lakhimpur. Another transformer was blown up at Hindugaon Tiniali injuring three SF personnel. Another gas pipeline was blown up by militants at Mahmora Silgrant under Namrup police station in the Dibrugarh district. Read less...

The newspaper also said that another round of dialogue between the Union Government and the Dima Halim Daogah (DHD) will resume on January 31 in New Delhi. DHD chairman Dilip Nunisa said on January 21 that home ministry officials had confirmed the date for the meeting. The previous round of dialogue between a DHD delegation and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil was held in New Delhi during June 2005. Read less...

Two National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) cadres were arrested by the troops of 9 Naga Regiment on January 21 while extorting money on the Assam-Bhutan road at Santipur in the Chirang district, according to Telegraph. Read less...

ULFA cadres triggered another blast on January 21 on pipelines of the Oil India Ltd inside Rangali Reserve Forest under Kakatibari police station in the Sivasagar district. Superintendent of Police Bishnu Ram Medhi informed that the explosions damaged a 400-foot pipeline, besides a gas pipeline running parallel to the crude oil line causing a gas leak. The ULFA had set off explosions at the main gate of oil refinery at Guwahati a day earlier. Read less...

In another incident, one police personnel, Sanjay Verma, was killed and five others sustained injuries in an encounter with ULFA cadres at Ewarlangtha Gorgaon along the Assam-Nagaland border in the Golaghat district. Read less...

On January 22, at 5.55 pm (IST) suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres lobbed a grenade targeting security force (SF) personnel near Gauhati Commerce College in the Guwahati city injuring five SF personnel, according to Sentinel. Within minutes, another grenade was hurled in front of the Assam Police Reserve at AT Road in the city killing a civilian. Fifteen minutes later, militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED), planted in a requisitioned bus, injuring three police personnel. Read less...

On January 22, Guwahati city police arrested seven ULFA cadres from the outskirts of the city and also recovered a Chinese grenade from their possession, reports Assam Tribune. The arrested have been described as new recruits of the outfit. Read less...

On January 22, suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres shot dead a petrol pump owner at Sadiya township in the Tinsukia district, according to Assam Tribune. Further, on January 23, the ULFA exploded a grenade near the nail factory at Bengenakhowa in the Golaghat district, according to Sentinel. No casualty was reported in the incident. Police also recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing two kilograms in front of the Golaghat district Deputy Commissioner’s office. Read less...

On January 22, ULFA militants lobbed a grenade at a police patrol team on the Sessa bridge in the Dibrugarh district injuring four police personnel. The militants managed to escape in a vehicle into the nearby forest area. On the same day, ULFA cadres blew up a gas pipeline near Bherbheri under Bordubi police station. Read less...

On the same day, suspected ULFA militants triggered a blast in the precincts of the Assam State Transport Corporation building in Jorhat injuring a civilian. Elsewhere, gas pipelines at Chetiapathar under Chabua police station and Bokulia Chariali under Duliajan police station were blown up. No casualty was reported in these incidents. Another gas pipeline, running through Lengri tea estate under Tengakhat police station in the Dibrugarh district, was also blown up by the ULFA. Read less...

Three suspected Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA) cadres were arrested from Dhubri and Golokganj police station areas along the India-Bangladesh border of Dhubri district on the night of January 22. One .38 revolver, one handmade pistol, three rounds of live cartridges and a demand note of Rupees 26,000 were recovered from two MULTA cadres, identified as Mohibul Hoque and Shohidul Hoque of Hoverpara village. Five grenades weighing one kilogram each and some incriminating documents were recovered from the third, identified as Aminul Hoque of Darbarpara village. Read less...

A team of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI) regiment arrested two persons, Maibul Hussain and Sahidul Haque, from Kalahat village in the Dhubri district and seized a .38 revolver, ammunition and a pistol. Another civilian, Aminul Haque, was arrested from the Rupsi area under Golakganj police station along with five bombs. Read less...

On January 23, ULFA militants detonated a bomb at the Doomdooma circle office in Tinsukia district damaging a portion of the building. Separately, an Indian Oil Corporation pipeline was blown up in Tingri Bongaon under Digboi police station by the ULFA. Read less...

Suspected ULFA militants exploded a hand grenade at Mayong police station in the Morigaon district. No casualty was reported in the incident. Separately, the police defused a timer device, planted below a high-power transformer on the Head Post Office Road in Jorhat. Half-a-kilogram of RDX, 7 pencil batteries, and a wrist watch were recovered from the site. Read less...

The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has called for a 24-hour general strike in the districts of lower Assam protesting against the "violation of ceasefire norms and torture of its cadres" by the security forces. The ‘commanding officer’ of the 'Western Command' of the outfit, B. Suden, in a press release alleged that troops recently detained two cadres at Shantipur in Chirang district and two others from Kazigaon in the Dhubri district and they were 'tortured physically'. Read less...

The second round of talks between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)-backed People’s Consultative Group (PCG) and the Union Government would be held on February 7, according to Sentinel. Writer Indira Goswami, a member of the PCG, said, "National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan informed me today that the talks with the PCG will be held on February 7 and modalities for the parleys will be decided later on." She added: "I also appeal ULFA to stop all kinds of violence considering the Government’s sincerity to hold the talks. I hope the ULFA leadership, including Arabinda Rajkhowa and Paresh Baruah, will listen to my appeal since it is a very positive step taken by the Centre." Read less...

According to Assam Tribune, a suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militant was killed and three others were injured in an explosion in the Ganeshguri locality of Guwahati city on January 24. Police sources said that the ULFA militant, Munin Das hailing from Ghograpar in the Nalbari district, was carrying the explosive and traveling on foot to avoid the intensified checking of vehicles by the security forces. Read less...

According to Telegraph, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) cadres burnt several vehicles in the districts of Lower Assam on January 24 during a general strike called by the outfit protesting against harassment by security forces. Read less...

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on January 24 appealed to the ULFA to eschew violence and give ‘due respect to the peace process with the Centre’. Speaking to Sentinel, Gogoi said that violent activities carried out by the banned outfit would malign the image of Assam which has progressed in every aspect in the last four-and-a-half years. Read less...

Jorhat district police on January 24 arrested a United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militant, Bhogeswar alias Debojit Bora, from Nagabat Tinali under Borholla police station in Titabor subdivision. Bora has been identified as a ‘lance corporal’ in the ‘28th battalion’ of the outfit. Read less...

On January 24 in the Karbi Anglong district, police arrested four militants of the Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) for their "direct or indirect" involvement in the abduction of tea garden executive B. K. Chaudhury, according to Telegraph. The KLNLF had abducted Chaudhury, manager of the Assam Tea Corporation Ltd-owned Loonsoong tea estate, on September 19, 2005 and had freed him on January 22, 2006. However, the outfit had subsequently taken hostage three relatives who had gone to its hideout to pay ransom. Read less...

On the same day, a bomb exploded at Demow Chariali in the Sibsagar district injuring three police personnel. Another blast occurred at Japidhara under Kakotibari police station in the same district without causing any casualty. Further, suspected ULFA cadres also detonated an improvised explosive device at Chhaygaon circle office precincts. No casualty was reported in the incident. Read less...

A Hindi-speaking trader of Anandabag in Digboi, Thakur Gupta, was shot dead by suspected cadres of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on January 25, according to Sentinel. Read less...

Assam Governor Ajay Singh speaking to the media on January 25 said that the ULFA must first surrender arms and come to the mainstream, and only then negotiations could follow, reports Sentinel. "They would be rehabilitated once they lay down their arms," Singh said. He further said, "A militant by taking up arms against the State has gone against the law, and so he must be treated in the line of law; he must be brought to book. So the question of negotiation does not arise unless the militants surrender their arms." Read less...

The police shot at and injured one Hiten Neog, a resident of Rongdoi near Bahona Tiniali, during an operation against the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in Jorhat district. Superintendent of Police Surendra Kumar said that Neog had planted the bomb, which exploded at the Jorhat bus terminus on January 22. Read less...

The United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) 'Publicity Secretary' Tong-Eeh-Nongloda talking to Sentinel on January 25 said that the outfit is hopeful of a fruitful outcome from its fifth round of talks with the Union and the State Government at New Delhi on January 31. Nongloda also blamed the State Government’s lackadaisical attitude in fulfilling its demand and said, "Therefore, the talks may not yield any good results." Read less...

Two suspension towers of the 132 KV Margherita feeder double circuit tower line at West Mamoroni under Digboi police station were damaged following two successive bomb explosions on January 25. However, no loss of life or injuries was reported. One kilogram of explosive, some wires and a time watch was recovered from the incident site. Another blast occurred near a transformer at Rajmai in the Demow township of Sivasagar district without causing any damage. Read less...

Unidentified militants opened fire and injured three woodcutters at Sagunmara field in the Parbatjhora forest area under Dhubri district, according to Sentinel. According to the statement made by an injured woodcutter, Mohammed Nural Hoque, a group of 25 unidentified armed militants started firing indiscriminately at the group of eight woodcutters while they were on the way home. The militants escaped from the scene immediately after the incident. Read less...

According to Telegraph, following militant attacks on oil installations in the recent times, oil companies and the Assam Government have revived a year 2003 proposal to raise an exclusive security force to guard the vast network of pipelines and installations across the State. Officials of oil companies are scheduled to meet Government representatives on February 3 to work out the modalities of raising the force, which is proposed to be drawn from the Assam Tea Plantation Security Force. Read less...

The Assam Government on January 27 said that it was to ready to release the imprisoned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres on parole if the proscribed group sat for direct talks with the Union Government with or without accompanied by the People’s Consultative Group (PCG), according to Sentinel. Read less...

The PCG has said that its ongoing negotiations with the Union Government may breakdown if the Government does not come up with a positive response regarding the release of the jailed and missing ULFA leaders during the second round of talks scheduled for February 7. PCG member Lachit Bordoloi said, "We are expecting the Government to make its stand clear during the second round of talks." Read less...

According to Telegraph, army personnel on January 28, begun an operation against the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants at Jeraigaon, the native village of the outfit’s 'commander-in-chief', Paresh Barua in the Tinsukia district. Unidentified sources said that the army has so far arrested four militants from the village. An army official said, "We had specific information about the presence of some ULFA militants in the Jeraigaon area, which is why we launched the operation. We also have reason to suspect that some of these militants were involved in the string of blasts in Upper Assam recently." Read less...

Army personnel, at the request of the district administration, have also taken over the task of providing security to the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) installation, assets and pipelines in the Sibsagar district, according to Sentinel. Read less...

On February 1, Assam Governor, Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh appealed to the ULFA to come for direct talks with the Government to expedite the peace process. In his speech to the State Legislative Assembly, the Governor described the formation of the People’s Consultative Group by the ULFA for talks with the Government as a welcome step. Read less...