GUWAHATI: The Paresh Baruah faction of the banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) on Sunday said a missile attack, carried out by “colonial occupational forces” on its camp, killed its two top commanders.
The outfit in a statement said the attack was carried out during the funeral ceremony of one of its senior-most leaders, “Lieutenant General” Nayan Asom, who was killed recently in an alleged drone attack by the “occupational forces.”
The ULFA-I said “Brigadier” Ganesh Asom and “Colonel” Pradip Asom lost their lives in the “cruel and inhuman” missile attack. The outfit further stated that several other members, as well as some civilians, were injured.
“The occupational forces have continued the attack in the areas using fighter jets. We would like to tell the indigenous people of Assam that we are determined to avenge this brutal attack carried out by the colonial nation,” the ULFA-I warned.
Guwahati-based defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said, “There are no inputs with the Indian Army on the operation.”
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media that he was aware of the statement issued by ULFA-I.
“The Assam Police are not involved. No attack was carried out from Assam’s soil. Defence authorities usually issue a statement after such incidents. They have not yet issued any. I think we will have some clarity by the evening,” he said.
The ULFA-I refers to Indian security forces as “occupational forces” and India as a “colonial nation.” It operates out of the soil of Myanmar, where several insurgent groups from India’s Northeast have their camps.
The ULFA-I has continued to wield the gun while Assam’s other insurgent groups signed peace accords with the government. The ULFA-I said it umpteen times that it would sit across the table only if the issue of Assam’s sovereignty is on the agenda.