GUWAHATI, Aug 13 � The hardline faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and other active militant groups of the North East may feel safe in Myanmar at least for some time as the Government of that country signed a cease-fire agreement with the NSCN (K). Meanwhile, there have been reports of the hardline faction of the ULFA bringing in explosives to Assam on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, which kept the police and security forces on their toes.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that the Government of Myanmar has not yet launched any offensive against the militants taking shelter in that country and so far only two deadlines were set for the militants to vacate the camps, both of which expired without any movement from the militant groups.
Sources said that the Government of Myanmar has also signed a cease-fire agreement with NSCN (K) at a time when majority of the militant groups including the ULFA and NDFB are maintaining their camps with the help of the Naga outfit. Sources said that according to information available with the Government of India, the Government of Myanmar is having problems with different groups in Kachin area and the Army of that country is not strong enough to open two fronts at the same time by launching an offensive against the militant groups of the North East.
The militant groups are also maintaining links with the lower level functionaries of the Myanmar army and they always get information about any movement of the Army. The Myanmar army is unlikely to catch the militants off guard by launching a surprise attack, sources pointed out.
Meanwhile, according to information available with the security forces, the hardline faction of the ULFA has a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and most of those were made with TNT and not with high quality explosives like RDX. Sources revealed that according to information available, some amount of TNT was moved into India from Myanmar through the Khorsang area of Arunachal Pradesh recently. However, the ULFA does not have adequate number of trained manpower to plant explosives and the outfit has been trying to use linkmen and couriers to plant ready made IEDs.
However, sources said that the group headed by Drishti Rajkhowa is capable to trigger off explosions and the same group, which is moving around in Garo Hills area, has been given the responsibility of launching attack in Guwahati city, while, other small groups of the ultra groups have been asked to target upper Assam districts.
