GUWAHATI, Aug 21 � With the involvement of armed militants in the border trouble in the Charaipung area coming into open, all the border outposts of the Assam Police along the inter-state boundary with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have been alerted to keep strict vigil on the situation.
Highly placed police sources told The Assam Tribune that senior police officers visited the BOPs of the Assam Police in the areas considered vulnerable to take stock of the situation on the ground and to direct the police personnel to maintain strict vigil. Sources said that each of the BOPs is manned by one platoon of force and they are equipped with sophisticated weapons including mortars to deal with any militant attack. The village defence parties of the villages along the inter-State border with Nagaland have also been directed to keep a close watch on the situation and to report anything suspicious to the police.
Sources pointed out that the involvement of militants in the recent incidents along the border with Arunachal Pradesh has been confirmed as sophisticated weapons were used to launch attacks on Assam Police personnel. It is suspected that militants belonging to the NSCN (I-M) were involved in the recent attacks.
Sources pointed out that following an exchange of fire on August 16, the police recovered one AK 56 rifle along with some ammunition from the area, which proved beyond doubt the involvement of militant groups. Sources said that one of the miscreants injured in the incident is undergoing treatment in the Assam Medical College Hospital in critical condition and �we expect to know the details of the plans of the militants involved if he recovers.�
Police sources said that in the past also, militants belonging to the NSCN (I-M) created problems along the inter-State borders and a few years back, one magistrate was killed in firing by the members of the group. The State Government has taken up the matter with the Government of India on several occasions as the militant group is under cease-fire agreement with the Government and such activities are against the ground rules of such agreements. But whenever the issue was raised by Government representatives in the meetings with the leaders of the outfit, they always deny the same.
It may be mentioned here that a decision was taken in a meeting between senior police officers of Assam and Nagaland last year to constitute village level committees comprising people from both sides to maintain law and order situation on the ground, but the decision remained on paper only in most parts of the inter-State border.
