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Counter-insurgency offensive against India's N-E separatist group to extend beyond Assam

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Guwahati, India, Jan. 19, IRNA
India-Assam-Operations
A major counter-insurgency offensive in India's restive northeastern state of Assam is to be extended to the neighboring states to crackdown on separatists blamed for the killing of scores of Hindi-speaking people, officials said.

More than 27,000 army, police, and paramilitary troopers are currently engaged in a massive operation in Assam against the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), blamed for a recent wave of violence that killed 76 people.

"The operations are likely to be extended beyond Assam and cover Meghalaya as well. Troops are already combing some select jungle areas in Arunachal Pradesh", a senior army official said requesting not to be named.

"The coordinated offensive is required as the ULFA are escaping to both Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya from Assam after the operations was launched."

Top army commanders, along with senior police officials from the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya met Friday at an army base in Assam's main city of Guwahati.

"A meeting of the operational group under the mandate of the unified command was held to review the current operational situation involving top army officials, Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, and senior police officials from Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh," an army statement said.

The meeting was chaired by Lt Gen R.K. Chhabra, General Officer Commanding of the army's 4 Corps, based in Assam.

"The participants deliberated on the current modus operandi of the terrorists and worked out strategy and the methodology of countering it to ensure peace", the statement said.

At least five ULFA rebels were killed and close to 20 captured since the operations began Jan 8.

"The operations are going on in full swing and the results so far are good. We cannot divulge details at this moment", Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi told journalists.

The ULFA in a deadly strike between Jan 5 to 8 killed 61 Hindi- speaking migrant workers in separate attacks.

Five policemen, two officials, and three civilians were also killed two separate explosions.

The Assam government Friday announced intensifying security after the ULFA issued fresh threats asking migrant workers to leave the state immediately.

"We have tightened security across the state and are committed to protecting the people of Assam, be it be locals or Hindi-speakers", the chief minister said.

The fresh threats by the ULFA have once again triggered panic among the migrant workers.

More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam during the past two decades.

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