ULFA-I claims ‘Operation Bujoni’ strike on Tinsukia police camp; 4 injured
The banned outfit says strike aimed to deter continued operations, as forces launch crackdown and tighten security across region
Assailants fired 4 to 5 Rocket-Propelled Grenades in a surprise strike
Margherita, Mar 22: Proscribed outfit the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) has claimed responsibility for a late-night ambush on a commando camp in Tinsukia.
In a statement released on Sunday, ULFA-I said the strike, codenamed “Operation Bujoni”, was carried out by its cadres.
The outfit said it had earlier suspended offensive operations against the Assam Police as a goodwill gesture after the 2021 Assembly elections. But it alleged that security forces continued action against its members, including killings, arrests and what it termed “encounter killings”.
Calling these actions “unacceptable and unjustified”, the group claimed several of its members had been killed, injured or left disabled in operations across districts, while others remain jailed under stringent laws.
It said repeated warnings to avoid escalation went unheeded, prompting the latest attack, which it described as a “message” to deter further operations.
Even as it claimed responsibility, the outfit said it does not seek hostility with Assam Police personnel at an individual level, but warned that continued action could push the situation towards further escalation.
The attack took place at the Jagun 10 Mile camp, where assailants fired 4 to 5 Rocket-Propelled Grenades in a surprise strike. Four Assam Police commandos were injured in the blasts.
The injured have been identified as Chitranjan Mili and Debashis Bora from Jorhat, Ravi Garh from Chabua, and Jambuch Marak from Goalpara.
All four have been shifted to a nearby hospital, with reports indicating that three are in critical condition and undergoing emergency surgery.
“This was a calculated move to disrupt the peaceful election environment. We are treating this as a top-priority threat, and the search for the perpetrators is ongoing,” a senior intelligence official said.
Security sources confirmed the scale of the assault, raising fresh concerns over the outfit’s ability to strike deep inside Upper Assam despite heightened deployment of forces for election duties.
A high alert has now been sounded across Tinsukia district and adjoining interstate borders, with intensified search operations underway.