India steps up security along Bhutanese border
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Guwahati, India, Sept 27, IRNA
India-Bhutan-Security
India has decided to step up security along its unfenced border with Bhutan to prevent movement of separatist guerrillas from the country's restive northeast to the Himalayan kingdom, officials Wednesday said.
An Indian Home Ministry official said the 699 kilometer unfenced border between the two countries will now be manned by ten battalions (10,000 personnel) of frontier guards instead of the existing five battalions.
The number of battalions to be deployed along the Bhutan border would be increased to 12 by next year to prevent cross border movement of militants, the official who wished not to be named said by telephone from New Delhi.
The decision to step up vigil along the Bhutan border follows intelligence inputs that separatists guerrillas from India's northeastern state of Assam were planning to set up bases in the predominantly Buddhist nation.
The number of border posts is also being increased from 32 to 135 to make the security presence visible in the area, the official said.
Bhutanese military in December 2003 launched an eviction drive smashing up to 30 rebel camps and claimed to have ousted three influential Indian militant groups from their territory.
The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) both from Assam, and the Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO) of West Bengal, were operating out of well-entrenched bases inside Bhutan to carry out their hit-and-run guerrilla strikes on federal soldiers for close to a decade.
Bhutan maintains that no Indian rebel groups have any bases now in their territory.
"We need to be vigilant as army operations are now on in Assam against the ULFA and the rebels might once again try to take shelter in Bhutan and hence the stepped up security," the Home Ministry official said.
2162/2322/1412
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
