Guwahati: Assam’s Director General of Police (DGP), Mukesh Sahay, admitted on Wednesday that there had been “some resurgence” of the Paresh Baruah faction of outlawed United Liberation Front of
Assam (ULFA), which was hitherto perceived to be a spent force.
“There has been some resurgence of the ULFA in certain pockets along Assam-Nagaland and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh borders. They had recruited some youth in recent times but we are fully determined
to counter their activities,” Sahay told the media here.
Last week, three Army personnel were killed and four others were injured in an ambush by a joint team of the ULFA and the SS Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) in eastern
Assam’s Tinsukia district.
Sahay said the perpetrators of the attack had been identified and efforts were on to zero in on them. He said the militants would often come down from the hills of Arunachal and Nagaland and sneak
back after carrying out a subversive act in Assam.
“That’s the reason why we are working in tandem with the two neighbouring states to improve coordination. We discuss the issue at every platform where we meet,” Sahay said.
Arunachal and Nagaland share their border with Myanmar where the ULFA and various other insurgent groups of the Northeast have their bases. The elusive Baruah is believed to be holed up there.
Weakened by the arrest of most of its leaders in Bangladesh a few years ago, the Baruah-led ULFA faction is trying to regain the lost ground with the help of particularly NSCN-K following the formation of
United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW). It is the conglomerate of the insurgent outfits of the region.
Additional DGP, Kula Saikia, said the insurgent outfits had been badly affected by demonetisation.
“There is no doubt that they are suffering because of demonetisation. We received reports that they had used school children, contractors and educational institutes to stash their money,” he said.