Ulfa may target pro-talk faction
The security agencies have alerted the Assam police that the anti-talk faction of Ulfa led by Paresh Baruah has sent 35 armed cadres to launch offensives in oil-rich Upper Assam districts and target the leaders of the pro-talk faction of Ulfa. Disclosing that the prime assignment of Ulfa cadres is to make their presence felt through violent attacks, authoritative security sources told this newspaper that among the 35 armed cadres, few are new recruits.
Informing that they may try to kidnap officials of oil companies operating for ONGC and OIL in Upper Assam districts, security sources said that Ulfa may also try to blow up oil pipelines or any establishment of the oil companies to create fear psychosis. It is said that oil PSUs and their subsidiary companies have been resisting the Ulfa’s extortion demands.
About their plan to target the pro-talk faction of Ulfa, security sources said that inputs suggest that Ulfa cadres have been asked to look for soft target among the leaders of the pro-talk faction in order to avoid any collateral damages to the outfit. Admitting that outfit was getting money from tea plantation industries of the state, security sources said that the anti-talk faction of Ulfa has also recruited nearly 100 new cadres. Though, the exact whereabouts of these new recruits are not know to the security agencies, it is feared that they have been taken to Burma for arms training.
The security sources said that three oil-rich districts of Upper Assam — Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sibsagar — are the most vulnerable to the Ulfa attacks. Informing that the police and paramilitary forces have been alerted, security sources said that the state government has been advised to intensify the operations in vulnerable districts as Ulfa cadres may take help of anti-social elements also to execute their plan at the local level.
It is significant that Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had also admitted on Friday that the anti-talks faction of Ulfa was carrying out recruitment and extortion in Upper Assam districts.
Taking the advantage of elections and peace-process that had slowed down the operations of the security forces, the Ulfa has succeeded in roping in some unemployed youths to join the outfit.
Security sources, however, admitted that free movement of the pro-talk faction of Ulfa cadres might create some confusion for the security forces so the state government has been advised to confine them within the boundary of designated camps.
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