Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA)

The Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA) was founded sometime in the year 1996. MULTA is one among the approximately 14 Islamist terrorist outfits reportedly operating in the State of Assam. MULTA and the Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam (MULFA) are also said to be part of the All Muslim United Liberation Forum of Assam (AMULFA). AMULFA was reportedly founded to coordinate the subversive activities of Islamist terrorist elements in the Northeast region of India. Though its time of founding is not known, MULFA is believed to have taken shape at the behest of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the external intelligence agency of Pakistan. The then Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, in his statement on the floor of the Assam Legislative Assembly on ISI activities in the State, on April 6, 2000, said MULTA and MULFA were being guided by the ISI. Mahanta further claimed that the ISI had drafted a plan to cause subversion in the State by appealing to the religious sentiments of vulnerable sections in the society, in Assam.

Leadership & Cadre Strength

Available reports have, thus far, not been able to home in on the names of the leadership of MULTA. Similarly, the cadre strength of the outfit is yet not known. However, security forces have arrested many MULTA cadres and several more have also surrendered to the authorities in the State. A majority of MULTA cadres, reports indicate, are drawn from the poorer sections of the Muslim population in the State and have no more than minimal formal education.

Aims & Objectives

Reportedly, MULTA, as is allegedly the case with the other Islamist terrorist outfits in the State, seeks to mobilise the Muslim youth in Assam to 'fight' for the 'cause' of Muslims. Reports have also indicated that the outfit has as its objective the waging of jehad against India, to eventually set up a 'greater independent Islamistan' for the Muslims of Assam. MULTA cadres, in fact, reports suggest, are attempting to emulate the terrorist outfits operating in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, and claiming that they are waging jehad against the Indian state.

Linkages

The outfit has established both intra and inter-regional linkages. Reports suggest it has linkages with the National Socialist Council of Nagland -Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM). NSCN-IM operates primarily in Nagaland. The NSCN-IM has allegedly provided training to MULTA cadres in the Jiribam jungles. Some reports even indicated that cadres of other Assam-based terrorist outfits championing the Islamic cause in Assam, too, had trained with the NSCN-IM.

MULTA is also said to be a constituent of the United Reformation Protest of India (URPI), another organisation that claims to be a platform for various Islamic terrorist outfits operating in the Northeast. A MULTA cadre arrested on July 9, 2002, in Bilasipara, Dhubri district, Assam, disclosed this. Besides, reports of June 21, 2002 have expressed the apprehension that the Al Qaeda might spread its network across the State. Fleeing Al Qaeda terrorists are looking for safe houses after the US campaign against them started in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the US. These cadres, reports indicate, might turn to the Islamist terrorist outfits in the State to secure safe houses.

According to intelligence sources, the ISI had backed the formation of the AMULFA, of which MULTA and MULFA are members. The sources also claim that the ISI is even providing training to these two outfits in the Syleth district of Bangladesh under the command of one Rustom Ali, who is said to be a former Pakistani Army officer. Sources further claim that the AMULFA would finally be linked with the United Liberation Front of Seven Sisters (ULFSS), in ISI’s larger plan to destabilise the Northeast region.

There have also been reports indicating that MULTA has been receiving help from the Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) of Bangladesh, a fundamentalist group that is a member of the ruling coalition in that country.

Area of Operation & Activities

Dhubri district of Assam has witnessed the maximum number of incidents involving MULTA terrorists. A MULTA cadre whose arrest was reported in the media on July 4, 2002 confessed to the police that the passage along the International Border in the Golokganj area of Dhubri district is used as a route to infiltrate into the State from Bangladesh. Nagaon and Morigaon districts of Assam have also witnessed MULTA activities. A few of its cadres have been arrested in Darrang district, too. Moreover MULTA allegedly maintains base in Jiribam sub-division of Manipur.

Extortion from the local population in the areas it operates, abductions for ransom and the illegal arms manufacture and trade in them have been identified as the main activities of the outfit. The outfit's cadres have also been involved in committing murders. For instance, a MULTA terrorist killed son of the Deputy chief of Dhubri city police on April 14, 2002. Besides, the outfit, allegedly at the behest of the ISI, has also plans to create communal disturbances in Assam. This was stated in media reports on August 30, 2002, quoting Assam Inspector General of Police Siba Brata Kakati. Further, an unnamed intelligence official was quoted in the same report as saying that approximately 30 MULTA terrorists were waiting to cross into Assam after having completed training in Bangladesh.

Finance

Reportedly extortion is a major source for its finances. The sale of illegal weapons is another source to finance its activities. In fact, several MULTA terrorists were arrested on the charges of illegal arms manufacture and their sale.

Incidents

2008

• April 5: Two MULTA cadres are arrested by Army personnel from Chatguri-Jangirkilla in the Dhubri district.

• April 1: The Assam Government stated in the Legislative Assembly that 234 Islamist militants were currently lodged in different jails in the State. The 234 militants include as many as 150 belonging to the MULTA, 50 to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), and seven Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives.

• January 7: A Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Asom (MULTA) militant, identified as Razizul Haque Byapari, surrendered before security force personnel in Guwahati along with a 9 mm revolver with two rounds of ammunition.

2007

• November 7: The Army arrested one MULTA militant, Moinul Haque, from Uttar Raipur area under Golokganj police station in the Dhubri district.

2006

• December 25: A MULTA cadre, Nishan Ali, is arrested from Demdema village in the Dhubri district. A bomb is recovered from his possession.

• December 24: The Army and the Special Branch of Assam Police arrest Matibur Rahman, a cadre of Black Widow, anti-talk faction of the DHD led by the Jwel Gorlosa, from Pailang village in the Cachar district. Rahman reportedly confessed to have been recruited by the Black Widow for maintaining link with Manipur-based PULF, Pakistan's Inter- Services Intelligence (ISI) and LeT. The report adds that PULF had tied up with the MULTA and MULFA, and extended its operation to Barak Valley.

• December 6: A MULTA cadre, Nabab Ali, is arrested by security force personnel during a search operation at Bokola village under Jamuguri police station in the Sonitpur district.

• November 30: Two suspected MULTA militants, Inamul Hussain and Zamila Begum, are arrested from Tinghoriadoom Gaon under Tinghoria police outpost in the Tinsukia district. Four detonators are recovered from their possession. Based on their confession, six persons were arrested subsequently for interrogation.

• November 29: The Inspector General of BSF for the Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland frontiers, Jyoti Prakash Sinha, said that at least 14 cadres belonging to the MULTA and MULFA were sent to Bangladesh to study religion. But they received arms training there and came back to the Northeast. He also mentions that Pakistan's ISI is clandestinely working in Bangladesh to bring all Northeast-based insurgent outfits and Jihadi elements to work under one umbrella.

• November 1: A suspected MULTA cadre, Matiur Rahman, is arrested by security force personnel during a search operation at Jhaskal Ditiya Khanda village under Golakganj police station in the Dhubri district. A huge cache of live cartridges of AK-47 rifle is recovered from his possession.

• July 21: The four MULTA militants, including the self-styled ‘commander’ Nur Islam alias Limbu, who were arrested by Assam Police on July 18, are reported to have confessed that at least 20 cadres of their outfit used Shillong and Lad Rymbai in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya as their routes to escape to Bangladesh in recent past.

• July 18: Guwahati City Police arrests a self-styled ‘commander’ of the MULTA, Nur Islam alias Lambu, from the Ambari area. Reports said that at least 20 MULTA cadres have gone from Assam to Bangladesh passing though Meghalaya for training.

• March 29: Army personnel, following a MULTA cadre Quasim Ali, recover four bombs from a house in the Goalpara district.

• January 22: Three suspected MULTA cadres are arrested from the Dhubri and Golokganj police station areas along the India-Bangladesh border of Dhubri district. One .38 revolver, one handmade pistol, three rounds of live cartridges and a demand note of Rupees 26,000 are recovered from two MULTA cadres, Mohibul Hoque and Shohidul Hoque of Hoverpara village. Five grenades weighing one kilogram each and some incriminating documents are recovered from the third, identified as Aminul Hoque of Darbarpara village.

2005

• November 27: Three ULFA cadres, identified as Sirajul Haq, Bogen Neog and Ritu Sarma, and a MULTA cadre, Moinul Haq, surrender before the Superintendent of Police in the Dhubri district.

• July 31: Acting on a tip off, the Dhubri district police arrest two suspected MULTA cadres from a hide out in Chagolia along the Assam-West Bengal border. The arrested militants, identified as Ashraful Hussain and Baschu Mian, hail from Nakkati Nagar in the Coochbehar district of West Bengal.

• July 21: A MULTA cadre, Abuwal Hussain, is arrested from Bidyardabri Part V village in the Dhubri district.

• July 20: A MULTA cadre, Moinul Haque alias Laden, is arrested at Sindurai under Golokganj police station in the Dhubri district.

• March 14: Assam Home Minister, Rockybul Hussain, speaking in the Legislative Assembly, discloses that 4,768 terrorists have surrendered in the State between January 2001 and February 2005. He says that the surrendered include 1168 ULFA, 776 NDFB, 2648 BLT, 48 MULTA and 4 NSCN cadres.

• February 5: Lumding police arrest two MULTA cadres, belonging to the Naukhuti village of Nagaon district. A pistol, a revolver, a sten gun and a rifle are recovered from their possession.

2004

• September 22: A MULTA cadre, Dadul Ali, is arrested from the Urimghat area of Golaghat district along with a SBBL gun and a pistol.

• September 19: Assam Police arrests a MULTA cadre from Hatsinghimari in the Dhubri district and recover a pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition from him.

• September 7: A MULTA cadre, Mohammed Abdul Laskar, is arrested at Lanka in the Nagaon district recently. A 9mm pistol is recovered from his possession.

• September 5: A girl student, who is abducted two months ago by Wajid Ahmed, brother of Sayed Sabir Ahmed, 'commander-in-chief' of the MULTA, is rescued by the Assam Police from New Delhi and brought back to the Nagaon district.

• September 1: Security forces recover at least 50 high-velocity electronic detonators from a private residence at Baghahat under Sonai block in the Cachar district. A person, identified as Mohammed Ibomcha, suspected to have links with either the PLA of Manipur or the MULTA was arrested in this connection.

• August 30: A MULTA cadre, Nur Hussain, surrenders before the Army at the Bashbari camp in Dhubri district.

• August 28: Cachar district is put on maximum alert amidst reports that the ULFA is collaborating with the MULTA and PULF to carry out subversive activities in the district.

• August 27: At least 70 terrorists, including 47 ULFA, 11 NDFB, 8 BTF and 4 MULTA cadres, surrender at the 5 Assam Rifles camp at Chardwar in the Sonitpur district. They also deposit arms and ammunitions, including AK 47 rifles, 9 mm pistols, revolver and 264 live ammunitions.

• July 30: Nagaon 'district commander' of the MULTA, Sayed Sabi Ahmed, is arrested from Dimaruguri on charges of extortion.

• May 22: At least forty-seven terrorists, including 20 ULFA, 25 NDFB and 2 MULTA cadres, surrender along with 42 assorted weapons to the Army authorities at Tamulpur in the Nalbari district of Assam.

• April 12: Lohit Nath, a student of Class IX of Kokrajhar Higher Secondary School, who is abducted by suspected MULTA cadres on March 18, 2004, is released after 25 days at Latapara under Bilasipara subdivision.

• April 6: Army personnel arrest a MULTA cadre, Abdul Khalek, from Khalihamari village in the Nagaon district.

• March 29: A MULTA cadre surrenders along with arms and ammunition before Lt Gen. Anup S. Jamawal, General-Officer-Commanding of the Army's Gajraj Corps at Tezpur.

• March 18: Suspected MULTA cadres abduct Lohit Nath, a student of Class IX of Kokrajhar Higher Secondary School.

• February 24: A MULTA cadre, identified as Sakimuddin Haque alias Ilias Bhutto, is arrested by the Army at Paglahat Bazaar under Golakganj police station in the Dhubri district. He is reported to have close links with the ULFA.

• January 31: At least 156 terrorists including 53 ULFA, 91 NDFB, 4 BTF and 4 MULTA cadres surrender at Tamulpur in the Nalbari district.

• January 28: Thirteen cadres belonging to the ULFA, NDFB and MULTA surrender before security force personnel.

• January 3: Two MULTA cadres surrender to the army at Laipuli in the Tinsukia district.

2003

• December 31: One MULTA terrorist surrenders in Jorhat.

• November 26: One MULTA terrorist is arrested in the Cooch Behar district of North Bengal.

• October 30: A MULTA terrorist, identified as Mohammad Ali Jinnah, is arrested from Bogulamari village in the Dhubri district of Assam.

• October 10: A MULTA terrorist, identified as Nurul Haque, who was allegedly involved in illegal arms smuggling from Bangladesh to Assam, is arrested on an unspecified date from Geelaldah in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal.

• August 17: MULTA cadre surrenders with two AK-47 rifles and an unspecified quantity of ammunition before the police in Dhubri district.

• June 19: Media reports indicate that terrorist outfits, including the ULFA, the NDFB and the MULTA, among others, are currently active in Dhubri district.

• June 14: MULTA terrorist Abdul Ali is arrested from the outfit's hideout at Larkuchi under Mukalmua police station limits in Nalbari district.

• June 5: Reports indicates that MULTA terrorists under the leadership of Najimullah have intensified their activities among the minority community in Dhubri district along the India-Bangladesh border.

• June 2: Police in the Kokrajhar district destroy a MULTA camp at Bengtol in the Indo-Myanmar border area.

• May 21: Report indicates that a group of 28 MULTA terrorists led by a ‘second lieutenant’ Abdul Jalil have infiltrated into Assam from Bangladesh.

• May 20: Reports indicate that MULTA has ‘purchased’ 55 houses in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh in 2003 to shelter recruits and some leaders of the outfit from Assam.

• May 2: Two MULTA terrorists surrender to the police in Dhubri district with a pistol and 36 grenades.

• March 26: MULTA 'sergeant' arrested from an unnamed place in Nagaon district.

• March 8: Three MULTA terrorists are arrested in Lalkura village, Golokganj police station-limits, Dhubri district, while on an extortion bid.

2002

• December 3: Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA) extremist Manowar Hussain alias Yearuddin is arrested from a place under Bogribari police station-limits

• September 24: Police arrest MULTA Dhubri 'district commander' Md Abdur Rahman from Uchita village, Golokganj police station-limits, Assam.

• September 18: Two MULTA terrorists make an unsuccessful bid to abduct a local businessman from Panikhaiti area, Nagaon police station-limits.

• August 30: Reports say police sources indicated that MULTA, along with other terrorist outfits, is championing the ‘Islamic cause’ and might spread communal hatred in Assam

• August 19: Police arrest two MULTA terrorists––Jamaluddin Sheikh and Abdus Salam––from Jhulan mela), an annual traditional fair held in Dhubri district, Assam, for their alleged involvement in illegal arms trade.

• July 22: Six MULTA terrorists surrender in Dhubri district.

• July 9: MULTA terrorist arrested for allegedly running an illegal gun-making factory in Boyjer Alga Char area, Bilasipara, Dhubri district.

• July 8: Security forces arrest one MULTA cadre each from Nagaon and Golaghat districts, following the interrogation of another a cadre arrested earlier at Panbari, Dhubri district.

• July 4: Intelligence sources say MULTA is receiving help from the Jamat-e-Islami (JeI), a fundamentalist political party of Bangladesh and a member of the ruling coalition.

• June 26: Report says two arrested MULTA terrorists revealed during interrogation that the son of Dhubri district police deputy chief was killed by a MULTA terrorist, on April 14, at Belguri village, Golakganj police station limits, Dhubri district.

• January 11: Report says a MULTA terrorist was among the 34 terrorists killed in various incidents in Kamrup in the year 2001.

2001

• September 23: Five MULTA cadres arrested by security forces in Assam's Darrang district

• 26 January: Four MULTA, besides 134 from various outfits, surrender to Assam Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S.K. Sinha at the Republic Day function in Guwahati.

2000

• October 24: 10 MULTA terrorists, besides 53 from various other outfits, surrender to Assam Governor Sinha and Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta at Bilasipara, Dhubri district.

• March 31: Abdul Jalil Ragbi, Assam Jamiat Ulama vice-president denies, in Guwahati, the presence of MULTA or MULFA in Assam.

• January 25: Security forces arrest four MULTA terrorists from Nalbari and one more from Jorang Pathar village in Nagaon district, Assam.

1996

• MULTA founded sometime in the year.