GUWAHATI, May 16 - The militant groups of the Northeast have started setting up camps in Myanmar again, but now these are located closer to the border with India. However, according to reports available, the militants are finding it tough to take rations to the camps because of the lockdown.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that the Myanmar army, following request of the Indian government launched a major offensive and took over the camps of the militants in the Taga area of Myanmar early last year, which had put the militants in total disarray. Following the operations, the members of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (S) also came overground and signed a peace accord with the Government of India along with three other factions of the NDFB.
However, in recent times, the other militant groups of the region, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), started setting up camps in the areas closer to the international border, which is a matter of concern for the security agencies. It is believed that the ULFA(I) and other ultra groups have set up camps with the help of the NSCN(K) that has good hold over the area because of the presence of a sizeable number of Naga population.
Sources said in the last fortnight or so, the ultras faced shortage of food in their camps as the rations that they managed to store exhausted and they have not been able to take rations to the camps because of the lockdown. Sources said according to inputs available, a number of new recruits of the ULFA(I) also escaped from the camps because of the hardships they are facing.
�It is believed that a number of them have already entered India and are looking for opportunities to surrender,� sources added.
Senior ULFA(I) leader Drishti Rajkhowa recently had a narrow escape when Meghalaya Police raided a camp where he was hiding in a remote place in the Garo hills. Rajkhowa was staying in the camp along with members of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA). Police recovered demand notes of the Garo outfit from the camp.
Meanwhile, the Myanmar government has handed over 22 militants � ten from Assam and the rest from Manipur � to India and Indian security agencies brought them back on Friday. Those militants were arrested in the operation in the Taga area last year. It is not known whether there are any more Indian ultra in the jails of Myanmar, sources said.
