Proscribed militant group ULFA(I) has claimed that at least three of its senior leaders were killed in drone attacks by the Indian Army on its camps in Myanmar in the early hours of Sunday, with the Army denying knowledge of any such operation.
A statement purportedly issued by the ULFA(I) claimed that that attacks took place at several camps along the Indo-Myanmar border between 2 am and 4 am on Sunday, and that its “lieutenant general” Nayan Medhi alias Nayan Asom was killed in these and that another 19 were injured.
It claimed that another two senior functionaries, “brigadier” Ganesh Asom and “colonel” Pradeep Asom were killed subsequently in a missile attack while Nayan Asom’s final rites were being carried out.
A statement purportedly issued through a self-styled second lieutenant Ishan Asom warned of retaliation. “The occupational forces are continuing the attacks in the areas using fighter jets. We inform the indigenous people of Assam that we are determined to take revenge for this brutal attack by the colonial nation,” it stated.
When contacted, defence spokesperson Lt. Col. Mahendra Rawat, who is based in Guwahati, said: “No inputs with Indian Army on such operation.”
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, too, denied having information on such an operation when asked about it by reporters in Golaghat. “The Assam police are not involved in this and no operation was carried out from Assam’s soil. Usually when such incidents take place, there is a statement from the Indian Army but they have not issued it yet. Maybe there will be more clarity on this later,” he said.
The ULFA (I) headed by Paresh Baruah is known to have its camps in Myanmar and has resisted coming to the table for talks without discussing sovereignty for Assam. A pro-talks faction of the ULFA had signed a tripartite peace pact with the Union and state government in December 2023.
