Incidents involving United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)

2010

• March 15: Assam Tribune quoting security sources reports that the interrogation of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) leaders arrested in recent past indicated the game plan of the groups to extend cooperation to militant groups in the Nortesat. The main aim of the Maoists is to divert the attention of the Government and SFs. The Maoists have already tried to establish links with the ULFA as such a move would be beneficial for both sides.

• March 8: A ULFA linkman, identified as Dipak Bhumij of Tiphuk tea estate, was arrested by the SFs at Sivasagar. A 9-mm pistol was recovered from his possession.

  The Assam Government assured the Assembly that all efforts were on to trace the ‘commander-in-chief’ of BW, Niranjan Hojai, who had gone missing from a designated camp about two months ago. According to other sources, Hojai could remain in hiding till the political process with the BW begins and he manages to get amnesty. "In that case, he doesn’t have to go to jail although the process of getting amnesty could be time consuming. Otherwise, he lands in jail as soon as he surfaces," a source said, adding the court could soon declare him a "proclaimed offender". Assam Forest and Environment Minister Rockybul Hussain said that action would be taken against the cadres of the militant groups who had fled their designated camps. So far, 15 BW militants, seven DHD militants, 40 NDFB militants and five ULFA cadres have fled their designated camps.

• March 7: The Union Government may not be willing to allow ULFA ‘commander in chief’ Paresh Baruah to "hold talks to hostage" for an indefinite period if the other leaders of the outfit express their desire to solve the problems through discussions, highly placed official sources said.

  Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Hagrama Mahilary held talks with ULFA ‘publicity secretary’ Mithinga Daimari at the latter’s residence at Nizzuluki near Barama of Baksa District in Assam.

  ‘Chairman’ of the ULFA’s women wing Kaberi Kachari, who is also the wife of the ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa, also held dialogue with Mithinga Daimari at Nizzuluki. Kaberi met Mithinga along with Runumi Chetia, wife of ULFA’s ‘foreign secretary’ Sasha Chaudhury.

• March 5: A 45-year-old businessman, Nepal Halder, who was abducted on February 21 and held hostage in forests — possibly in Assam — returned to Malda District of West Bengal. A day after his abduction from Old Malda on February 21, his wife Gangarani had received a call demanding INR ten million for his release. But the family members refused to say if they had paid the ransom to secure the release. Police suspect that he had been abducted by KLO or ULFA militants and a financial deal had been struck for his release.

• March 4: Founder ‘vice-chairman’ of ULFA, Pradip Gogoi, was released from jail after 18 years and he immediately called for initiation of the peace process to end insurgency in Assam. The court of the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate freed Gogoi after the ULFA leader furnished INR 1.2 million in bail bonds as sureties in nine cases. Gogoi urged the Government to release other top jailed leaders, including ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa, ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain and ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Baruah to expedite the peace process.

  The Centre clarified that it had not received any formal request for peace dialogues so far at the organizational level from the ULFA. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said that the Government of India has always shown its willingness to enter into dialogue with any group, which is willing to abjure the path of violence and place its demand within the framework of the Constitution of India. Sources added that at least one round of meeting between top officials and the ULFA leaders were held in the jail premises. The ULFA leaders were advised to draft its charter of demands.

• March 3: Two ULFA cadres, identified as Prahlad Malakar and Akon Das, were arrested by the Police at Barpara in Bongaigaon District.

• March 2: The ‘commander-in-chief’ of ULFA, Paresh Baruah, has started reorganising the outfit. Security sources said that at least 30 to 40 members of the outfit are still in Bangladesh. The ‘central committee headquarters’ of the ULFA is still located in the Bakapura area in Sherpur District of Bangladesh. After the arrests of the top leaders of the outfit, the ‘commander-in-chief’ is now the most powerful man in the outfit and Jiban Moran is the ‘second in command’. Sources added that ULFA has made three ranks among the remaining senior members. Most of the members of these three groups are still in Bangladesh. Sources further said that all is not well in the ‘28th battalion’ headquarter of the ULFA in Myanmar and the top leaders have ‘suspended’ a senior member Sujit Mohan. Though Bijoy Das alias Bijoy Chinese is now heading the ‘28th battalion’, still considered the strongest wing of the outfit, personality clashes among the senior members have created problems.

  In the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, the Governor of Assam, J. B. Patnaik said that the Government is ready for talks with the militants within the framework of the Constitution of India. In his speech, the Governor said that there has been perceptible improvement of the law and order situation mainly because of constant pressure by the SFs. A number of top United Liberation Front of Asom ULFA leaders were arrested in last few months, while, two important militant groups - KLNLF and Black Widow surrendered arms. "While we will continue to deal with any act of violence firmly, I would like to say that the doors are open for negotiation within the framework of the Constitution of India," the Governor added.

• February 25: A ULFA cadre was shot dead and another cadre arrested when the SFs neutralised a hideout at Chachinat village of East Garo Hills District in Meghalaya. The slain cadre was identified as self-styled 'sergeant' Bidyut Kalita of the '109^th battalion' of the ULFA. Two AK-81 assault rifles, 129 live rounds of ammunition, one Dragonov sniper rifle with 76 bullets, one kilogram of RDX explosives and a wireless set, one voltmeter and extortion notes were recovered from the hideout. The '109^th battalion' is entrusted with mainly logistical work, like guiding ULFA militants to and from Bangladesh through Garo Hills, which borders the neighbouring country and Assam. The Police said the villages along the border areas of East Garo Hills have become a safe hideout for ULFA militants. The anti-talks faction of NDFB also uses the tract.

  Modalities for ULFA talks may figure at the meeting slated to be held between Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in New Delhi.

  After meeting with Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Delhi reiterated the outfit's need to drop the issue of sovereignty and abjure violence before any parley. They discussed ULFA's demand for direct talks with the Centre. However, a source said both agreed that the talks, as and when they are held, should also involve the State Government. The meeting also dwelt upon the efforts being made to bring all the ULFA leaders, including Barua to the talks table, but was unanimous on the view that the Government could not keep waiting. After his discussion with Chidambaram, Gogoi said, "The government is ready for talks with the ULFA but there will be no discussion on sovereignty. There is also no plan to suspend operations against the group." On ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua, Gogoi said, "We will also try to bring Paresh Barua to the negotiation table. But if he doesn't come, we will go ahead with the peace process." Gogoi said the indication from the ULFA was positive and the Government was hopeful of initiating the peace process soon. "But we don't specify any time-frame," he added.

  After six years in prison, the ULFA 'publicity secretary', Mithinga Daimary (43), was released. After his release from the Guwahati Central Jail, he went to his house at Barama in Nalbari District. Daimary said, "I will meet the jailed ULFA leaders within a day or two on peace talks. It's not possible to take any decision inside the jail, and as such the Government should ensure the unconditional release of the jailed ULFA leaders." He appealed to 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua to agree for talks on. However, ULFA 'vice-chairman' Pradip Gogoi said peace talks would depend much on the Government's stand. "We can't take any decision till our general secretary Anup Chetia comes from Bangladesh," he added.

• February 23: The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, court released two top ULFA leaders, 'vice-chairman' Pradip Gogoi and 'publicity secretary' Mithinga Daimary on bail, according to Sentinel. IANS quoted the Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi saying, "We also hope talks will begin and are confident that the jailed ULFA leaders will respond. We would hold talks with them with dignity and honour."

• February 21: The Assam Government transferred ULFA's political ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain alias Mama to the Guwahati Central Jail from Tezpur in an attempt to allow all the top jailed leaders of the outfit to meet inside the prison to chart out a road map for peace talks.

• February 19: An unidentified ULFA cadre was shot dead by the Army at Lakhopur village in the Helecha-Lakhopur area in Nalbari District.

  The designated TADA court granted bail to ULFA 'vice-chairman' Pradip Gogoi in three cases registered against him. His counsel said that the bail was granted on conditions that till the disposal of the cases he would not travel abroad, deposit his passport, if any, in the court and not leave Assam, area under the jurisdiction of the court, without prior permission from the court or the officer-in-charge of the Police Station of the area where he is a permanent resident.

  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Guwahati said: "We haven't got any indication from the ULFA for peace talks as yet, and without any indication from the outfit we can't move ahead. The outfit is adamant on its stand that talks can't be held in handcuffs and from jail. We know this difficulty, but can't do anything before the initiation of peace talks," reports Sentinel. On ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah, he said, "We also want that he should take part in the peace process, but we can't wait for him for long. Our efforts to persuade him for peace talks or arresting him are on."

• February 17: A person, Ajay Rajkhowa, was arrested by the Police from Nazira of Sibsagar District for demanding money from a businessman in the name of ULFA.

• February 16: A designated Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court deferred its decision on bail applications of ULFA ‘vice-chairman’ Pradip Gogoi and ‘publicity secretary’ Mithinga Daimary by a few days. Meanwhile, the Assam Government stated that it has no objection if the two jailed ULFA leaders were granted bail by the court, adds Telegraph. The Government made the submission before the designated court during the hearing of the bail plea. A source said that all the jailed ULFA leaders were likely to be released in phases as part of the groundwork for starting a dialogue.

• February 15: The Assam Government asked the Centre to equate ULFA with the NSCN when it comes to setting pre-conditions for cease-fire and subsequent talks.

• February 14: A suspected militant belonging to '709 battalion' of the ULFA, identified as Kamal Boro, was arrested by the Police from Adamgiri Hill at Maligaon in the Guwahati city.

• February 13: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Guwahati said that ULFA's self-styled 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah is trying to regroup the cadre to derail the peace process initiated in Assam. "Paresh Baruah, with a handful of his supporters, is trying to regroup the residual cadre for a showdown in the coming days apparently to derail the peace process which seems to be in the offing with the arrest of many top leaders," Gogoi said. The Chief Minister further said that the activities of NSCN-IM were on the rise in the border Districts of Assam including North Cachar Hills, Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar and Tinsukia.

  Another disturbing factor, he added, was attempt by leftists' elements to influence adivasi and other tribal youths in the State. Meanwhile, Assam Tribune quoting sources reports that Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) leader Koteswar Rao alias Kishan met ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah on an unspecified date after the arrest of ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa. Security sources said that Myanmar could be the venue. The meeting between the two was confirmed when Kishan himself admitted the fact in an interview.

  The 'chairman' of ULFA, Arabinda Rajkhowa said that his outfit was not for peace talks but was keen to resolve long-drawn contentious political issues through negotiations. When asked about ULFA's demand for sovereignty, he said, "I don't want to say anything more as things may get complicated. We don't want to complicate the situation."

• February 12: A day after the KLNLF gave up its arms, the Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asked the ULFA, NDFB and other militant groups to lay down their arms to build a peaceful Assam founded on the ideals propagated by Sankardev, in Titabor of Jorhat District. "The ULFA, NDFB and other terrorist groups of Assam should follow Sankardev’s ideology and humanism to build a peaceful Assam. They should follow the ideals of the great Assamese prophet and lay down their arms in the greater interest of a peace in the State," said Gogoi.

  The pro-talks ULFA described the Government’s decision to the arms surrender term for talks as a step in the right direction, which might even prompt the outfit to consider coming forward for talks. Mrinal Hazarika, a leader of the pro-talks group, said, "Ulfa is not like the DHD or the KLNLF. You cannot impose conditions on them." Union home secretary G.K. Pillai on February 11 had said that the Centre had never asked the NDFB or ULFA to lay down arms but only to abjure violence if they wanted talks.

• February 10: Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq Ahmed Karim said in Shillong that Anup Chetia, ‘general secretary’ of the ULFA, under detention in Bangladesh, after serving a jail term, would be handed over to India soon. He said "It’s happening. You will know when you get him." He further claimed that there were no camps of Northeast militants in Bangladesh at present, added Telegraph. "There are no militant camps that I know of. Action has been taken very seriously against the insurgents who had set up camps", Karim added further.

• February 9: Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said, "We are trying to apprehend Paresh Baruah who is in the Kachin region bordering China. We are putting pressure on Myanmar for this. Paresh Baruah is trying to establish links with China for shelter and arms." He said that Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will decide on whether talks with the ULFA [United Liberation Front of Asom] should be held even without Paresh Baruah's participation. He further said that the Centre will discuss Paresh Baruah's links with the NSCN-IM during the meeting with the Naga outfit in April. About ULFA leader Anup Chetia, now in Bangladesh, he said, "We are hopeful that Chetia would come back to Assam soon," he further added.

  The main opposition party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), denied reports that its key official and party chief's son Tarique Rahman had met Indian fugitive militant Paresh Barua, according to Sentinel. Opposition chief whip in Parliament Zainal Abedin Farroque said that the reports were "a concocted story" based on a confession made by Mohammed Hafizur Rahman, a key witness in the Chittagong arms haul case.

• February 7: A ULFA militant, identified as Biswajeet Rabha, was arrested by the SFs from Majapara village in Goalpara District.

  The arrested prime accused in the Bangladesh's biggest ever arms haul case has claimed that former Bangladesh Premier Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman was involved in an abortive smuggling of weapons, believed to be meant for the ULFA militants. The State-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency quoted a senior Police official as saying, "Hafizur Rahman (the prime accused) has told the magistrate that he had met Tarique Rahman at Hawa Bhaban along with ULFA leader Paresh Barua on April 1, 2004." Investigation Officer Mohammad Moniruzzaman said the latest statement of Hafiz seemed to be a "major development" in the investigation process since a reinvestigation into the scam was ordered two years ago.

  The Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi called for strict vigilance along the India-Myanmar border following reports of ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah seeking to regroup the remaining ULFA cadres in a bid to derail the peace process. He said, "Hence, the need of the hour is to increase vigilance along the Indo-Myanmar border by advancing the BOPs manned by Assam Rifles closer to the border." He further said, "The Myanmar-based NSCN-K has been offering all forms of assistance and logistical support to the ULFA, ever since it was formed, which must be curtailed at this crucial juncture though the good office of the central government." Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram expressed satisfaction over the comparative downward trend of level of violence in the Northeast barring, of course, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Prime Minister Singh said that in the Northeast, the number of incidents has gone down in 2009 as compared to the preceding year.

  The Meghalaya Chief Minister, D.D. Lapang asked the Centre to go for a tripartite political and development accord with the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) to bring the ongoing peace process to a logical conclusion, reports Shillong Times. He also stated that insurgent outfits like ULFA, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), NDFB and UPDS are not only supporting groups like Liberation of Achik Elite Force (LAEF), but also providing them arms, ammunition and training. He said that insurgent outfits both from the Northeast and adjoining Bangladesh were also using the peaceful State of Meghalaya both as temporary sanctuary and corridor. Lapang further claimed that both ANVC and Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) have been largely neutralised with a sustained Police operation. But passive militancy is still a cause for concern, he further added.

• February 6: A ULFA militant was shot dead in an encounter at Garobasti in Goalpara District. Two Chinese grenades and a pistol were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

• February 5: A suspected ULFA militant was shot dead by SFs at Chakrashila reserve forest near Choaikhola in Kokrajhar District.

  The Centre convened a meeting in Delhi to review the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in Assam, with focus on efforts to draw ULFA to the negotiating table. A source said this would be the first meeting involving high-profile officials since the arrest of several ULFA leaders, including 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa.

  Security agencies have drawn up a list of 22 ULFA and NDFB militants whose arrest or elimination would deliver a terminal blow to the network of operatives of both the outfits within Assam. Source said, "All of them are currently in Assam and we have taken all possible steps to ensure that they cannot leave the state." Both the militant outfits are operating in tandem in several Districts of Assam.

  A meeting of the top Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Intelligence Bureau and Assam Police officials held in New Delhi decided to continue counter-insurgency operations against ULFA in Assam till the outfit agreed to talks. Halting anti-ULFA operations was ruled out during the meeting since officials feared that such a move would offer the outfit an opportunity to regroup, as had happened a couple of years ago.

  The Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, endorsing the stand of the Centre on the peace process, emphasised the need for a written communication from the jailed leaders. "We need a letter from the ULFA leaders to start the peace process," he said. "Without some kind of written commitment from the ULFA leaders it will be difficult on our part to start the process. What happens tomorrow if they back out," Gogoi added further.

• February 3: An ULFA militant, Diganta Sonowal, was arrested by Teok Police from Kaliapani in Jorhat District. 13 bullets of AK-47 rifle were recovered from his possession.

  ULFA 'publicity secretary' Mithinga Daimary denied the outfit's 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah's statement that 'some broker intellectuals' of the State have been putting mental pressure on the jailed ULFA leaders on peace talks with the Government.

  Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq Ahmed Karim hinted at handing over jailed ULFA 'general secretary' Anup Chetia, but wanted Indian Government to reciprocate by deporting some of its wanted terrorists allegedly hiding in India. He said, "I cannot comment on whether Anup Chetia would be handed over. But let me say, if you have got back some of the terrorists (meaning the recent handing over of ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and three more top leaders and their family members to India), I see no reason why you cannot get others also."

• February 2: Two suspected ULFA cadres, identified as central Assam 'area commander' Bosa Singh alias Ranojjal Kakoty and his bodyguard Ankur Bonia alias Bishnuram Deka shot dead by troops of 65 Field Regiment of Red Horns Division during an encounter at Dakkhin Bhokelikanda under Kalaigaon Police Station in Udalguri District. A six year old boy, Lakhya Jyoti Deka, was killed in crossfire of the encounter. A trooper was also injured in the encounter. . An AK-56 rifle, 60 rounds of live ammunition, two pistols, four Chinese grenades, a satellite phone, six cellular phones and incriminating documents were recovered from their possession.

  The hardcore militant belonging to '709th battalion' of the ULFA, identified as Raju Deka alias Mustafa Mohammad (30) of Mangaldoi, was arrested by SFs personnel from the Talap area in Tinsukia District. Around three kilograms of explosives were recovered from his possession. SFs claimed to have thwarted the outfit's designs to create fresh terror with the arrest of the militant. Military intelligence sources said that another militant, Hemanta Rajbongshi was leading a 12-member group from '709th battalion' and was looking for possible targets in Upper Assam.

  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the Assam Government is ready for peace talks with the ULFA, but the outfit has to give to its written assurance that is ready for peace talks. Gogoi said, "If the ULFA just writes - we are ready for peace talks with the government - the government gets the basis to start the peace process. We will consider other demands of ULFA leaders like 'no talks with handcuffs in hands, dignity' etc."

  The ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa said they could not talk with the Government while in custody. He said, "We cannot propose to hold talks with the government when we have handcuffs on." ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua on the other hand warned 'intellectuals' working at the behest of the Government against the outfit of dire consequences. In an e-mailed statement, he once again came down harshly on people he described as 'local dalals and India-loving intellectuals' who were playing a devious game to derail the outfit's freedom movement. He said that these people were trying to put pressure on the jailed ULFA leaders to sit for talks by citing 'false aspirations of the people'. He added, "However, we are sure that our jailed leaders will not forget the sacrifices made by thousands of youths for the sake of the freedom movement."

• February 1: The ULFA started moving some of their camps in Myanmar deep into the dense forest areas, apprehending a crackdown. This revelation came following February 1 surrender of a ULFA militant Akash Bora before the Inspector General of Border Security Force (BSF) at Shillong in Meghalaya. Security sources said that from the revelations made by Akash, it was clear that the ULFA is still recruiting new boys and new recruits in small batches are still sent to the camps in Myanmar for training. The ULFA has four major camps in Myanmar where around 150 to 200 cadres are staying. Sources quoting Akash said that life is tough for the militants in Myanmar because of the terrain, and the recent arrest of ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa and other senior leaders frustrated and demoralised the cadres. Sources further added that the camps of the ULFA in Myanmar are run mainly by ULFA 'central committee member' Jiban Moran and hardcore militant Bijoy Chinese. Akash revealed that some senior ULFA cadres are maintaining links with some Army officials of Myanmar.

  One militant belonging to '28th battalion' of the ULFA, identified as 'sergeant' Ranjit alias Akash Bora, surrendered before the Border Security Force (BSF) at Shillong in Meghalaya. He deposited one AK-56 rifle and its two magazines besides, 140 bullets. He claimed that ULFA cadres were getting arms training in the four camps in Myanmar. He said, ''The morale of the ULFA cadres in the Myanmar camp has not been affected, knowing Paresh Baruah is still around and supporting the cause of the outfit.''

  The Centre is ready for a dialogue with the pro-talks groups of both ULFA and the NDFB even without their top leaders Paresh Barua and Ranjan Daimary. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said, "Our offer to talk to ULFA remains. But we have not yet got an offer to talk from those who have been apprehended. Paresh Barua is not with us. We do not think he is in India. Just because Paresh Barua is out of the country it does not mean that talks can be avoided indefinitely." Chidambaram, however, said that the Centre was also willing to talk to the NDFB without its 'chairman' Ranjan Daimary.

  The ULFA said that it would discuss the offer made by Home Minister P. Chidambaram for peace talks with the jailed rebel leadership. Jailed ULFA 'vice-chairman' Pradeep Gogoi said, "We shall have to discuss the matter and I, alone, cannot make any comment on the Home Minister's offer. There has to be a conducive climate for talks and also a lot would depend on the government's sincerity."

• January 29: ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa has said that a decision on a dialogue with the Government would be taken soon, with leaders of the outfit in prison holding marathon discussions on the issue. Mrinal Hazarika, 'commander' of 28th battalion' of the outfit said, "Both sides should not impose any precondition as it may create hurdles in holding dialogue. The agenda for the talks can be finalised at the negotiating table." He also appealed to the Government to release the jailed central ULFA leaders to facilitate early talks. "We want Paresh Barua also to join the peace process but one can't wait for him endlessly. Dialogue must start even if Barua refuses to be a part of the peace process," he added. "Greater autonomy for Assam will solve the problems. It will function like a federating unit where all indigenous groups will have political roles to play," he further added.

• January 27: Two militants belonging to ‘28th battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as David Doley alias Ganesh Kumbang of Dhemaji District and Biraj Sonowal alias Ajit Sonowal of Dhakuakhana were arrested by the SFs at Dhodang Chapari area under Pulibar Police Station of Jorhat District.

• January 25: One militant belonging to the '109^th battalion' of the ULFA, identified as Donjison Rabha, was arrested by the SFs in Krishnai area of Goalpara District. Three IED, two grenades and 20 AK-series ammunition were recovered from the possession of the militant.

  The ULFA in its changed strategy has moved men from '109th and 709th battalions' to Upper Assam to carry out subversive activities around Republic Day. Sources said that a 12-member unit drawn from both the 'battalions' led by bomb expert Hemanta Rajbongshi from Nalbari had entered Upper Assam in early part of January 2010 and had been carrying out surveys to figure out possible targets.

  A ULFA militant, identified as Prithvi Raj Rabha, was arrested by SFs during a search operation in Goalpara District. He was the most wanted bomber of the outfit.

• January 24: Two ULFA militants, identified as Hiteswar Kachari and Maheswar Rabha, were arrested by SFs from Goalpara District.

• January 23: The Police recovered an IED from Lalmati area under Basistha Police Station in Guwahati City. Police, however, failed to arrest the ULFA cadre, identified as Lakhi Das alias Jishu belonging to the '109th battalion' of the outfit. "We have received information about the movement of a few suspected persons in the city, which is why we have put our team on alert to avert any untoward incident," a senior Police official stated.

• January 22: One militant belonging to the '28^th battalion' of the ULFA, identified as Dipak Saikia (33) alias Bhai, was arrested by the Police from Elengmora area under Pulibor Police Station in Jorhat District. Three kilograms of Trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive was recovered by the Police from the Major Sapori area in Majuli following his confession.

• January 21: Ruling junta of Myanmar assured that it plans to launch co-ordinated operations with India to flush out Northeast militants from its territories and has promised to help track down elusive ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah.

• January 19: One ULFA militant, identified as Santosh Rabha (22), was arrested by the Assam Police at Japorigog area in Kamrup District. One Austrian grenade and a bomb were recovered from his possession. He hails from Nalanga Pahartoli in Goalpara District. However, the Police have collected information about a four to five-member group of ULFA cadres belonging to '109 battalion' of the outfit entering Guwahati with explosives to carry out strikes before January 26. Sources said, "He [Santosh] was operating under directions from self-styled sergeant major of 109 battalion, Dipak Das alias Dipak Rai, and commander Pradip Basumatary. During interrogation, Rabha said there were three more cadres of the '109 battalion' holed up in the city." Sources also added that their biggest worry was there are two more bombs in the city, which are yet to be found. This arrest assumes significance in the light of ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua's threats of attacks ahead of Republic Day.

  ULFA 'vice-president' Pradip Gogoi and 'publicity secretary' Mithinga Daimary filed petitions in the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) Court seeking bail. Legal experts said, "The court can consider the bail plea of the ULFA duo if the State Government is convinced that they will not jump parole and not destroy evidence of cases against them."

  The ULFA stated that autonomy would divide the State. In its mouthpiece Freedom, the outfit criticised the State Government for its alleged failure to punish the "secret killers". The ULFA mouthpiece also said that the outfit would continue to attack the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Army.

• January 18: A surrendered ULFA militant, Kamal Nath, stated that the Congress party was behind the secret killings during the Prafulla Kumar Mahanta regime.

  January 18: The ULFA stated that its jailed leaders would not jump parole, if freed from prison to facilitate peace talks with the Government. "Let me assure the government and the people of Assam that if released on parole we shall never betray the trust... we shall not flee," said jailed ULFA leader Pradeep Gogoi. He responded following reports that the Assam Government was contemplating granting parole to at least eight top jailed ULFA leaders to facilitate peace talks, but the Centre is apprehensive that the militant leaders might jump parole and go underground. He further added, "Let the people of Assam and the government first take us into confidence... we are not going to break that trust."

• January 17: Dead body of a businessman, identified as Prabhu Choudhury, was recovered from Mohgaon village in Pengeri Police Station of Tinsukia District. He was reportedly abducted by suspected ULFA militants with the help of a surrendered militant, Dilon Duara, from Kakopathar on October 28, 2009.

• January 16: The Assam Police arrested a ULFA militant, identified as Pradip Kalita, from Woodland Hospital in Shillong. Pradip Kalita was suspected to be a member of the '27th battalion' of the ULFA.

• January 15: The Army arrested four suspected ULFA militants from Surya Pahar under Naranarayan River Police Station of Goalpara District. A pistol, a revolver and two hand grenades were recovered from their possession.

  Telegraph reports that Tinsukia District Police registered at least six cases of abduction and extortion against a group formed by surrendered ULFA militants and a gang of insurgents who managed to escape from the outfit's designated camps. A Police Official said these cadres, armed with sophisticated weapons, had teamed up with a few surrendered militants and was operating in Upper Assam, especially in Tinsukia. At least five ULFA cadres, who managed to escape from the designated camps in Upper Assam, are part of this new group.

  Telegraph quoting SF sources reports that China's own political exigency in Myanmar was the factor responsible for ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua finding a safe haven along the China-Myanmar border. Sources said Barua had been traced to Ruili in Yunan province of China bordering Myanmar. "Most of the arms deals are struck at Ruili and from there the Chinese arms are brought to Bamo in Myanmar, from where they are routed to different places mostly through the Irrawaddy and its tributaries. ULFA and other militant outfits of the northeast also bring their arms and ammunition through this route," sources said. "Since the Myanmar junta and these rebel groups are in ceasefire, the Indian insurgent outfits like National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), ULFA, and Meitei groups of Manipur have found safe haven in the areas under control of the Kachin and Wa rebels [Myanmar]," added sources. Sources further mentioned that after the Bangladesh Government had stepped up action against the ULFA, Barua shifted base to the China Sino-Myanmar border and also set up camp in rebel-administered areas in Myanmar's Kachin.

• January 13: One militant belonging to ceasefire-group of the ULFA, identified as Dilon Dowerah, and one Army trooper, Havaldar Dayal Singh, were killed in an encounter at Talpathar village under Pengeri Police Station in Tinsukia District. The Army, however, said that another member of the gang might be injured in the encounter. Superintendent of Police of Tinsukia District Diganta Bora said that ULFA cadre Dilon, who hailed from Mutapung in Tinsukia, had formally laid down weapons on December 28, 2007. After two ULFA cadres, Akon Moran alias Ajit Moran, and Biplob Baruah alias Pinku Phukon, managed to escape from the Kakopathar-based designated camp belonging to ceasefire-group of the outfit on July 23, 2009, the trio teamed up to form a gang which extorted and abducted in the name of ULFA. AK-56 rifles, some live ammunition, a magazine, a cellular phone, some incriminating documents including ULFA extortion notes, were recovered from the incident site.

• January 12: Assam Tribune quoting security sources reports that the links between the ULFA and Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is a well established fact and the ULFA is still receiving help from ISI. Sources added that the militant groups, including the ULFA, are still receiving explosives, including RDX, from the ISI. The report adds that ULFA still has a good quantity of ISI introduced Programmable Time Devices (PTDs) and PTD switches.

  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh referring to issues related to the talks with the ULFA, said that the Government does not intends to humiliate anyone, but wanted to restore peace in Assam. He said, "Though we tried to bring them to the negotiation table in 2006, they (ULFA) backed out. I hope this time good reason prevails. If Assam becomes peaceful, nothing can stop it from making rapid progress as the state has tremendous potential in all spheres. We are also in touch with our neighbors so that insurgents from the North-East do not get shelter in their territories."

• January 10: Two suspected ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the SFs at Na-Kuchi under Khetri Police Station in the Kamrup (urban) District. One 9 mm pistol, a hand grenade, two magazines and six rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain militants. The suspected ULFA militants were believed to be led by 'self-styled sergeant major' Jayanta Kalita alias Jintu. Kalita, a top 'commander' of the 109th battalion' of the ULFA operating in Western Assam, was reportedly escaped towards the jungles of Meghalaya border.

• January 8: A senior leader of the ULFA, identified as Bhim Kanta Buraguhain alias Mama, was produced in Tezpur court.

  Assam Rifles (AR) Director General Lieutenant-General K. S. Yadava, addressing the 175th anniversary of the AR said, "United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was raised in Assam on the slogan of `Assam for Assamese'. But it's no longer what it was. My personal perception is that 50% of the lower cadre of ULFA is from across the border''. He added that the `hardcore cadre' of ULFA was now down to just about 200 or so.

  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, "Some positive signals are there that they are willing to hold discussions with us. We are expecting something in writing from ULFA."

  Bangladesh Local Government Ashraful Islam said that former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had a secret meeting with jailed ULFA leader Anup Chetia during a visit when the then Premier Khaleda Zia belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was in power. He said "Pervez Musharraf [former Pakistan President] came to Dhaka ... When the ULFA leader was detained in the (Dhaka Central) jail, from where he was brought to the Sheraton Hotel".

• January 7: Assam Police described ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua’s threats as nothing but old wine in new bottle while asserting that Security Forces (SFs) were on high alert and prepared for any challenge. Reacting to the threats, Assam Director-General of Police Shankar Barua said "Threats from ULFA are always there and there is nothing new in his statement." He, however, said that SFs were placed on high alert to foil any bid by ULFA to carry out strikes ahead of Republic Day.

  The ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah, who joined Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) as a porter in 1978 and went underground a few months later, was sacked by the Indian Railways. Having conducted an inquiry into Baruah’s absence from work for over 30 years, the NFR issued instructions to strike Baruah’s name off the Railways’ rolls. A senior NFR official said, "An order stating Baruah’s removal from service has been issued on Thursday [January 7]. It has been put up on the notice board at the Tinsukia railway station."

• January 6: The ULFA threatened to attack Security Forces (SFs) and vital installations in Assam ahead of the Republic Day celebration on January 26. "We are going to step up our offensive and target security forces and other vital installations," self-styled ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah said in an e-mailed statement. Titled ‘new guidelines and instructions’, the rebel statement also warned of action against Assam Police personnel and ‘informers’. "We are not going to spare those who act as informers to pass on inputs to the security forces," the ULFA leader said. The rebel statement also threatened action against ‘intellectuals’ who are anti-ULFA. "We shall identify the intellectuals and first warn them and then take action on such people," the statement said.

• January 1: A ULFA linkman, Sanjay Sarkar, is arrested by the Kokrajhar District Police and Army from North Rangapara village under Fakiragram Police Station. Explosives are recovered from his possession.

  Bangladeshi High Commissioner to India, Tariq A. Karim, in a recent letter to Bangladesh Government, said a possible backlash from ULFA and religious extremists in Bangladesh has made the mission’s compound in New Delhi extremely vulnerable. "These developments have meant that the High Commission and its personnel have become extremely vulnerable as targets for retaliatory attacks in India aimed at humiliating the government of Bangladesh," the letter stated.

2009

• December 31: The Army recovers 2.5 kilograms of Improvised Explosive Device (IED), suspected to be planted by the ULFA cadres, at Khumdi village in Nalbari District. The explosive is subsequently defused. The Police arrest Jiten Basumatary, a gram panchayat (village level local self-Government institution) member, in whose house suspected ULFA cadres had hidden the bomb before it was put inside a plastic bag.

  The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said, "Militancy is indeed continuing in Assam and Manipur and I do not deny it." Stating that two-three top leaders of the ULFA were still out of the reach of the Security Forces, he said, "I am confident that there will be good news in days to come as far as these two-three leaders are concerned…Two more ULFA leaders Arabinda Rajkhowa and Raju Barua were apprehended on the India-Bangladesh border and subsequently arrested by the Assam Police on December 4." The Minister said, "We will talk to them if they drop the demands for sovereignty and abjure violence." The report adds that Chidambaram has so far been maintaining that ULFA needed to drop the demand for sovereignty, abjure violence and surrender weapons.

  The Government will consider providing safe passage to the ULFA cadres if their jailed leaders agree to start a dialogue. "If they agree to hold discussions with the government, we will consider allowing safe passage. This has been decided," a source said, adding, there has, however, to be a formal communication from the leadership. "They must write stating they are willing and ready for talks," the source said. "They have to come home by shunning the path of violence," the source mentioned.

• December 30: Telegraph reports that the ‘general council meeting’ of the ULFA would be held at Central Jail in Guwahati to discuss the issue of holding talks with the Government. Highly placed sources said that Bhimkanta Buragohain, political adviser to ULFA, would be transferred to Central Jail after his next hearing in Tezpur court on January 8, 2010 to satisfy ‘norms of a minimum of eight central committee members being present at the meeting’. Buragohain is currently in Tezpur jail. The report adds that the ‘16-member central committee’ of the ULFA can hold its ‘general council meeting’ with half its members. At present, seven leaders of the ‘central committee’, including ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa, are in the jail in here. As such it was necessary for Buragohain to be present at the meeting to make it valid according to the ‘organization’s rules’. "We cannot say whether the outcome of the meeting would be positive vis à vis the talks, but the fact that there would be a meeting is a good beginning and, who knows, there may be some good news during the festive occasion," a source said. Apart from Rajkhowa, Central Jail currently houses ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Barua, ‘foreign secretary’ Sasha Choudhury, ‘finance secretary’ Chitrabon Hazarika, ‘vice-president’ Pradip Gogoi, ‘publicity secretary’ Mithinga Daimary and ‘cultural secretary’ Pranati Deka, wife of Chitrabon. Sources said a few ‘members of the central committee’ were not willing to hold such a meeting without ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua but with people asking for talks to begin, the leaders have decided to go ahead without him.

• December 29: Indian Express reports that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) recently began an inquiry after discovering ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah figured in its employee rolls. "Two hearings were conducted on December 4 and December 20. Nobody came forward to either claim this job or offer a representation on behalf of Baruah," said a senior NFR official. The report adds that almost three decades after Baruah last reported for his porter’s job in the Indian Railways, where he has continued to be ‘employed’ despite neither coming to work nor drawing a salary. ,

  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the Government has already initiated a peace process with the ULFA, and expressed his hope that the peace process with the outfit would make a stride in 2010.

• December 28: An ULFA linkman was arrested by the Police at Baihata area in Kamrup (rural) District. Two 9-mm pistols with ten rounds of cartridges are recovered from his possession.

  The ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa’s bodyguard Raja Bora alias Polash Phukan was produced before the Special Court of Judicial Magistrate in Dibrugarh on December 26 and was sent to Police remand for seven days.

  The Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that there will be no discussion on the sovereignty issue during peace talks with the ULFA, according to Shillong Times. "There will be no discussion on the sovereignty issue when the peace talks are held with the ULFA. One thing is clear: there will be no compromise on sovereignty," said Gogoi, adding, "the process for (initiating) the talkshas almost started but I don't say that much progress has been made or any breakthrough achieved. Attempts are being made...let's hope for the best."

• December 27: A suspected ULFA linkman, Diganta Bora, is arrested by the Police from Murpholoni in Golaghat District. Incriminating documents are recovered from his possession.

• December 26: The Director General of Assam Police G. M. Srivastava said that though the ULFA is not yet finished, it will not be the same organization after the arrests of its senior leaders. He pointed out that though the incidents of violence are the visible impacts of a militant group, no organization can run only through acts of violence. "There are several other aspects of running a militant outfit effectively including maintaining international contacts and managing other aspects of the outfit and it will not be possible for Paresh Baruah alone to do that. The arrested top leaders of the outfit were key members of the ULFA and it will be difficult for the ULFA to run the outfit without them. For example, some of the arrested leaders were responsible for maintaining international contacts and without them the outfit will lose such contacts," he added. Srivastava further said that if majority of the ULFA leaders finally decide to come forward for talks, the people of Assam would make Paresh Baruah redundant.

  The ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa and ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Barua are sent to judicial custody after 21 days in Police custody. The remand order is given by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Robin Phukan, who heard the case at a camp court inside the Central Jail in Guwahati.

  A cadre belonging to ‘709th battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as Dharmendra Kalita, is arrested by a joint team of the Police and CRPF near the Guwahati refinery along with RDX and ball bearings, which are used as splinters in bombs. Kalita belonged to Nalbari District of lower Assam. "He was walking along the railway tracks near the Sector 3 area of the refinery complex. When he was asked to stop, he tried to flee but was captured," a Police Officer said. Sources said Kalita had revealed during interrogation that several ULFA cadres from the lower Assam Districts had entered the State capital recently to carry out the strikes. "We, too, had some unsubstantiated inputs about Ulfa plans to carry out strikes at vital installations in the state, especially in the capital city, but Kalita has now corroborated it. We have now taken a re-look and tightened security around these areas," the Police Officer said. He said Kalita was a bomb expert and knows how to make an IED. "He had all the ingredients required to prepare the IED with him. We are expecting to get more specific information from him about the other cadres who have entered the city," he said. The Police said ULFA cadres in lower Assam were still active and preparing to carry out strikes. "Several active cadres of the outfit from lower Assam are taking shelter on the outskirts of the city and are looking for opportunities to enter the city to strike," another Police Officer said. Police sources recently revealed that they have information about ULFA cadres from lower Assam Districts setting up a base again inside Bhutanese territory near Barpathar village in Assam’s Chirang District. Sources added that two top leaders of the 709th ‘battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as self-styled ‘second lieutenant’ Baba Rabha and ‘sergeant major’ Kushal Das, are manning the camp that has over 100 cadres, most of them new recruits.

• December 23: The ULFA ‘foreign secretary’ Sashadhar Choudhury and ‘finance secretary’ Chitraban Hazarika are reproduced before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Kamrup and were sent to another 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the Bharalumukh Police Station case.

  A ULFA militant, Jatin Shaw alias Alput Thapa (25), surrenders and deposits his 9-mm pistol and one magazine before the Inspector General of the Border Security Force (Assam-Meghalaya frontier) Prithvi Raj at Shillong in Meghalaya. Jatin belongs to Golaghat in Assam and joined the ‘B company’ of the outfit in 2003 and underwent training at the ‘first battalion Naga camp’ in Myanmar. He is also involved in many killing and extortions cases in Assam. The surrendered militant worked as the ‘personal security officer’ of ‘commander of B company’ Sujeet Mohan. Jatin reportedly came over ground at the calling of his mother. He said, "I decided to leave the outfit after my mother asked me to do so". He also stated that National Socialist Council of Nagaland and ULFA are operating collectively in the forests of Myanmar, adding 20-25 cadres from Arunachal Pradesh were also undergoing training at different camps of the neighbouring country. Prithvi Raj expresses concern over the move by Northeast militants to shift base from Bangladesh to Myanmar in the wake of the ongoing operations against them by Dhaka. Admitting that there was an exodus of ULFA militants to Myanmar to escape the ongoing operations by the Bangladeshi Security Forces, Prithvi Raj said, "It is quite natural that the militants look for new pastures to continue their future activities."

• December 22: The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, turning down the demand for sovereignty, asks the ULFA and UNLF to give up violence and hold talks. He said that the Union Government was willing to look at 'new governing structures' to take care of the development agenda of the Northeast. "A couple of groups like the ULFA and the UNLF are still carrying out violent activities. To them we say, give up the demand for sovereignty. Give up violence and we can talk of anything," the Union Minister said at the valedictory session of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) leadership summit in Kolkata. Stating that the Constitution was resilient and innovative, and accommodated the concerns of the people of smaller states, he said, "If new innovations for governing structures are required, we are willing to look at it. The Constitution has provided for hill development councils, semi-autonomy, and some schedules to address the concerns of the people of the smaller states. We can have more schedules as long as it takes care of the development agenda."

• December 19: Police said that surrendered ULFA cadres were involved in the December 18 robbery at a branch of the United Bank of India at Dirok in Margherita of Tinsukia District. "We have identified a few members of the gang. At least three of them are surrendered ULFA militants," a senior Police official involved in the investigations said. He, however, did not name them, saying the time was "not right" yet.

• December 17: The highly placed security sources said that the ULFA leaders, including the ‘chairman’, did not divulge the name of any political leader who paid money to the outfit. Sources mentioned that the ULFA was involved in selling arms and ammunition to different militant groups of the region, including ATTF, NLFT, KLNLF, etc. The outfit, over the years, managed to establish very good contacts with the clandestine arms dealers of South East Asian countries and also received Programmable Time Device (PTD) switches from Pakistan. The outfit still has a good stock of PTD switches and the potential to trigger off explosions, sources said. However, seizures of a large number of weapons of the ULFA in 2004 and 2007 in Bangladesh severely affected the outfit, sources added.

  A surrendered ULFA cadre, Ratul Pathak, is shot at and wounded by unidentified militants at Gobardhana Chariali in Barpeta District.

  The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Guwahati, Robin Phukan, remands ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa, ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Barua and Rajkhowa’s bodyguard Raja Bora, to nine days of Police custody in connection with three blast-related cases registered at Paltan Bazar, Bharalumukh and Bhangagarh Police Stations.

  The arrested leaders of the ULFA confess that the outfit received "benefits" from political parties mostly in forms of money, particularly during elections.

  Bhutan said it has no information about ULFA running any camp in its territory but would take "positive steps" only if India communicated to it on this issue.

  Police said that surrendered ULFA cadres were involved in the December 18 robbery at a branch of the United Bank of India at Dirok in Margherita of Tinsukia District. "We have identified a few members of the gang. At least three of them are surrendered ULFA militants," a senior Police official involved in the investigations said. He, however, did not name them, saying the time was "not right" yet.

• December 16: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi rules out the possibility of halting army operations targeting the ULFA outfit.

• December 14: Meghalaya Police conducts counter-insurgency operations in the East Garo Hills region to flush out ULFA militants who have entered in large numbers to escape ongoing flush-out operations in neighbouring State of Assam. The area is idle for militants to use as a corridor to cross over to and fro Bangladesh and for concealment of weapons in view of the thick forest cover with an inaccessible terrain. Meghalaya Director General of Police S. B. Kakati said Garo Hills had previously been used by Assam-based militants as a safe haven. "I don't deny the fact that it is even now being used by militants and we are on the lookout for them," he said. According to Kakati, the area of concern is Resubelpara sub-division sharing border with Assam's Goalpara District. He said ‘109th battalion’ of the ULFA led by its ‘commander’ Hira Sarania was active in lower Assam and thereby used the route for transport of men and arms. "Resubelpara sub-division is infested by ULFA and even now operations are taking place to flush them out. There have been instances of arrest, seizure of weapons and neutralizing of militants," he said and added that identification of militants is a problem for the Police.

• December 14: The ULFA’s pro-talk faction led by Mrinal Hazarika reacted sharply to the December 13 public apology made by ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah for the Dhemaji bomb blast on August 15, 2004 and termed the apology a ‘drama’.

  The Special Operation Unit of Assam Police submits the case diary pertaining to the January 1 bomb blast in Bhangagarh and Paltan Bazar to the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup District, according to Assam Tribune. The ULFA ‘foreign secretary’ Sasha Choudhury and ‘finance secretary’ Chitraban Hazarika are accused in the blasts.

• December 13: The ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua apologises to the people of Assam for the bomb blast at Dhemaji on August 15, 2004, killing 17 persons, including 16 school children. Barua, however, blames some of the former cadres of the outfit for the blast and says they had misled the top ULFA leadership by saying it was done by the Government machinery to defame ULFA in the eyes of the people of Assam.

  The former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta accuses Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of "telling lies" over the "secret killings" issue. Gogoi, according to him, had learnt to "tell lies", as none of the commissions of inquiries constituted to probe the "secret killings" were able to find the "non-existent proof". "Will the chief minister pursue the widely published statement made by Ulfa finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika that his ministers and officials had paid to Ulfa so that the truth is placed before the people of the state? The ministers are said to have paid Ulfa for helping the ruling Congress on various occasions," he adds.

• December 11: The ULFA asks the Union Government for a plebiscite in Assam. "Talks, if any, have to be on the issue of Assam's independence or sovereignty. If the government cannot hold talks on the issue of sovereignty or independence, let there be a plebiscite on the issue," ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah said in an emailed statement to the local media in Guwahati.

• December 10: The arrested ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa and ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Barua said during interrogation that family members of the outfit’ s ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua are still holed up in Bangladesh along with the family members of Anup Chetia, another jailed ULFA leader.

  Surrendered ULFA cadres kill six persons at Singirmari in Nagaon District. Subsequently, several hundred women along with the villagers of Rajagaon launch a search operation to locate the culprits on the next day.

• December 9: The arrested ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa and ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Baruah completely rule out any possibility of negotiation with the Government without outfit’s ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah before the Police and the Government officials during interrogation. "Sovereignty or no sovereignty, peace talks would reap benefits only when the C-in-C comes forward for talks," Rajkhowa is said to have told the interrogators.

  Militant outfits in the Northeast— the Manipur People’s Liberation Front, National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), Tripura People’s Democratic Front, and anti-talk faction of the NDFB —said the people of the region engaged in "liberation struggle" felt "betrayed" by Bangladesh’s handing over of ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa and other leaders to India.

  The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) that talks with the insurgent groups in the Northeast could be held only if they laid down arms. Chidambaram said, "Our stand is clear. Lay down arms, give up demands for sovereignty and talks can be held... My appeal is common to all insurgent groups (in the northeast). Give up demands for sovereignty and lay down your arms. This will open the way for talks." Reminding the House that he had last week hoped that the ULFA would make a political statement offering talks with the Government, the Home Minister said, "No, such offer has not come. If they make an offer, we will talk." He added, "If there is an offer for talks, these will be conducted with due dignity."

• December 8: Two Myanmar-trained ULFA cadres surrender before Lakhimpur District authorities. They are identified as Debashish Bhuyan alias Bipul and Bubul Chowdung. They deposit a 9-mm pistol and .30 pistol at the time of surrender.

• December 6: The Union Government said it is ready to hold peace talks with ULFA. The Government, however, ruled out any discussion on the basis of a demand voiced by a section of the banned militant outfit for "sovereignty" of Assam. Sources said the ULFA was speaking in different voices on the prospect of talks with the Centre. There is no question of any discussion on the basis of "sovereignty" for Assam, the sources said. Meanwhile, Paresh Baruah, ‘commander-in-chief’ of ULFA, on December 5 said that there was no confusion in the minds of the ULFA cadres who want "sovereignty" for Assam to be discussed in any dialogue, while denying a split in the outfit.

  The Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asked all militant groups of the State, including the ULFA, to come forward for peace talks with the Government.

• December 5: Two ULFA militants, identified as Angshuman Bora alias Sabin Buragohain, ‘self-styled sergeant major’ of the ‘28th battalion’ and Rinku Baruah alias Bitupan Baruah, ‘lance corporal’ of the same battalion, surrendered before the Army personnel at Thakurbari Army Camp in Sonitpur District.

• December 4: The ‘chairman’ of the ULFA, Arabinda Rajkhowa alias Rajiv Rajkonwar and ‘Deputy Commander-in-Chief’ of the outfit, Raju Baruah, were handed over to the BSF near Dawki sector of the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya in the morning along with their family members. Official sources said that they were handed over to the Assam Police later. A team of the Assam Police brought them to Guwahati and they have been kept in the Assam Police’s Special Branch headquarters at Kahilipara area of Guwahati.

  The official sources in BSF said that Rajkhowa, his wife Kaberi Kachari and two children, Raju Baruah, his wife and a child, wife and two children of ULFA Foreign Secretary Sasha Choudhury and one Raja Bora, who was the bodyguard of Rajkhowa, surrendered to the BSF and were handed over to the Assam Police. Sources said that the ULFA members and their family members looked tired when they were brought to the city and "it seemed that they had to travel a long way", an official added. Security sources said that the ULFA chairman may face as many as nine cases under different sections of the IPC and the Arms Act as well as Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for waging war against the nation. He has specific cases against him in Jagiroad and Sivasagar. Raju Baruah has two cases lodged against him and the possibility of the police tracing out other cases against him during the course of investigations cannot be ruled out. Sources said that the wives of Rajkhowa and Sasha Choudhury were members of the ULFA and they are likely to face trial. However, it is yet to be ascertained whether Raju Baruah’s wife was a member of the militant outfit. Police sources informed that top security officials, including officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, questioned the arrested rebel leaders. The militant leaders are expected to be produced tomorrow.

  It was reported in Assam Tribune that both the leaders were handed over to BSF personnel somewhere in Tripura sector and flown in an Indian Air Force aircraft from Agartala to a defence airfield and was taken to an ITBP camp.

  Hira Saraniya, the ‘leader’ of the outfit’s 709th battalion said that the arrested leaders of ULFA were keen for peace talk and a breakthrough can be expected in the next few days. Official sources have claimed that all the four ULFA battalions, following the arrest of ULFA chairman and deputy commander Raju Baruah among others, are said to have shown keenness in pursuing the peace talks route, provided the Union Government agrees to entertain their charter of demands, which may not feature the demand of sovereignty. This comes at a time when the ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Paresh Baruah, through a press release, had asked the arrested ULFA leaders, particularly chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, not compromise on the sovereignty issue. Official sources, however, have not ruled out the possibility of Paresh Baruah coming for talks, stating that the commanders of a couple of battalions are expected to convey the message to the ‘C-in-C’ and prepare the charter of demands accordingly.

  Paresh Baruah, ‘Commander-in-Chief’, asked the chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa to clarify his stand on the issue of talks with the Government of India. In a statement e-mailed to the media, Baruah said that he had come to know about the fact that Rajkhowa along with the Military Spokesman of the outfit Raju Baruah and Sergeant Raja Gogoi were in the custody of the Indian Security Forces since December 2. He said that the Government of India would like to take advantage of the situation by forcing them to participate in the "so called talks" with the Government. The media reports in the last couple of days also indicated that the Government was trying to start "so called talks" with the arrested ULFA leaders. Baruah called upon the ULFA chairman to remember the demands and ideology of the ULFA and the supreme sacrifices of more than 12,000 ULFA members. He appealed to the ULFA chairman not to fall into the trap of the Government of India to take part in "so called talks" and asked him to clarify his position regarding talks.

  The Union Government said ULFA leaders, who surrendered, will have to face judicial process as several cases were pending against them and talks with the militant outfit will take place in "due course". "(Arabinda) Rajkhowa and Raju Baruah have surrendered and then they were arrested. They are now in Guwahati. They will be produced in a court," Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai told to reporters when asked about the fate of the ULFA leaders, who surrendered along the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya. "They have just come. Everything will take place in due course. Wait for that," he said. Asked about the fate of the family members of Rajkhowa and others, Pillai said as no cases were pending against the family members, they were free to go. "Families are free," he added.

  Sentinel quoting an unnamed top Government official reports that the elusive ‘commander-in-chief’ of ULFA Paresh Baruah is hiding in Kachin area of Myanmar, bordering China, and under the full grip of anti-India forces like ISI of Pakistan. Baruah, who has been against holding any peace dialogue with the Government, has fled from his hideout in Bangladesh some time ago. "He is now in Kachin area of Myanmar," the official said. Several militant outfits in the Northeast have training camps and bases in Kachin, which borders China’s Yunnan province, which Baruah visits regularly.

• December 3: Unidentified militants shot dead one Nazrul Ali, the driver of pro-talks ULFA ‘leader’ Russel Maradona, at Citnipara in Nalbari District.

  Three prominent jailed ULFA leaders — ‘vice-chairman’ Pradip Gogoi, former ‘publicity secretary’ Mithinga Daimary and ‘cultural secretary’ Pranati Deka — said that there is a bleak future of peace talks if Rajkhowa takes such a move sidelining Paresh Baruah and violating ULFA’s constitution. The three ULFA leaders were produced in the court in Guwahati. Talking to reporters, Mithinga Daimary said: "Arabinda Rajkhowa alone can’t drop the sovereignty demand that is in the constitution of the ULFA, and as such, he has no right to go for peace talks without Paresh Baruah. If he holds peace talks with the Government of India without Paresh Baruah and dropping the demand for sovereignty, the jailed ULFA leaders won’t be with him. Talks should be on sovereignty of Assam, and whether the demand is met or not is a different matter. If Paresh Baruah gives his nod to peace talks, the peace process may go on the right track." On the reported arrest of Arabinda Rajkhowa, he said the Government does not want any peace talks with the ULFA. "An arrested Rajkhowa can’t do anything towards peace talks what a free Rajkhowa can," he added.

  The Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi indicated that the much-awaited peace talks with the ULFA might be held even without the presence of the banned outfit’s still elusive ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah. "I have all along been convinced that the problem of insurgency has to arrive at some sort of political solution…If Paresh Baruah comes that is well and good but my personal view is that a dialogue can begin without him. This is also the desire of the people of Assam who favour a peaceful solution of insurgency," Gogoi said at a press conference.

  The mother of ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua, Miliki Barua (84), said if the proposed peace process was initiated without her son then the whole exercise would be "useless". She said, "All the boys (the ULFA leadership) had set out together on a journey to achieve something for Assam and if negotiations are held without my son then the whole process will be useless". "If the Government has the capacity, then it should bring all of them (ULFA leaders hiding in other countries) back. All the boys went together to realise a common goal, then why is the Government bringing back some and leaving out the others?" she questioned. However, she said that she was confident that her son would return if the Government’s intention on the peace process was explained to him and he was convinced.

  Paresh Baruah called up a member of the People’s Consultative Group, Hiranya Saikia, asserting that the struggle for sovereignty of Assam would continue even if some members of the outfit have come forward for talks by giving up the demand and ideology of the ULFA. When contacted, Saikia confirmed the phone call and said that the ULFA ‘commander -in-chief’ was very assertive. "He said that if any member of the outfit gives up the demand for sovereignty and come for talks with the Government they are free to do so. He also asserted that he would not give up the demand and ideology of the outfit and is ready to continue the struggle for which more than 11,000 youths laid down their lives," Saikia said.

  The opposition AGP party made an appeal to both the Government and ULFA to settle the contentious issues through negotiation. In a statement in Guwahati, the chief spokesman of the party, Atul Bora, said that none of the parties should slap any condition for the negotiation. Moreover, he said that the Governments in the State and at the Union should involve all leaders of the militant group in the negotiation. In the name of negotiation, the people of the State should not be deceived again, said Bora. Blaming the Tarun Gogoi-led Government’s nine-year term for the present volatile situation, said that the restoration of peace is the only solution to it. The Government should not go on reckless killing of youths in the name of containing insurgency. It should go for political solution of the insurgency problem, he added further.

• December 2: The Army released photographs of ULFA two cadres, who had carried out the November 22 Nalbari twin blasts claiming nine lives. Both the cadres, Mohan alias Mahesh Rajbongshi and Hemanto Rajbongshi, belonged to the ‘709th battalion’ of the ULFA, a press statement issued by Army said.

  The ‘chairman’ of the ULFA Arabinda Rajkhowa and ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Baruah were arrested in Dhaka. Both the ULFA leaders are likely to be handed over to India, highly placed official sources said. The sources said that Rajkhowa, whose movements were under scanner of the Security Forces of Bangladesh since September 2009, was picked up from a house in the suburbs of Dhaka city along with a few of his associates. Sources said that the Government of Bangladesh already intimated India about the detention of Rajkhowa and he is likely to be handed over to India. Bangladesh has not registered any case against Rajkhowa and he will be handed over to India as a part of the assurance to hand over militant leaders of India taking shelter in Bangladesh for years. Official sources said that intelligence inputs indicated detention of the ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ of the ULFA Raju Baruah. "The Government of Bangladesh is yet to confirm the detention of Raju Baruah. The Government of Bangladesh only informed India that the ULFA Chairman and a few others were detained. But Indian intelligence agencies managed to obtain reports confirming the detention of Raju Baruah," sources added. The report adds that the ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa will fly to Delhi after he is "pushed back" to Tripura from Bangladesh.

  A high alert has been sounded in Upper Assam Districts following the arrest of Arabinda Rajkhowa. Police have tightened the security in the sensitive areas. A meeting among the Security officials held in Jorhat to review the security scenario and some new strategies were adopted to prevent any kind of militant activities in the area.

  The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) that he would respond within 72 hours if the ULFA decided to hold talks with the Government, reports Sentinel. He was responding to a discussion on the internal security situation in the country. He further said, "I hope that the ULFA leaders will release a political statement on peace talks with the Union Government very soon."

  The detained ULFA ‘leader’ Mithinga Daimary said that Arabinda Rajkhowa alone cannot sit for talks outside the ambit of the outfit’s constitution. He termed Bangladesh’s recent offensive towards the ULFA militants as a ‘betrayal.’

• December 1: Bhim Kanta Buragohain alias Mama, the ULFA idealogue who was arrested during the Bhutan operation, was produced at Tezpur court in Sonitpur District. Buragohain told reporters that he believed that talks with the Indian Government could be held if the arrested leaders of the outfit are unconditionally released.

  The Union Home Minister P Chidambaram clarified that the Union Government is yet to receive any offer from ULFA to come for talks even as the Union Government seems to have softened its stand on the presence of the elusive commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah at the talks. When asked whether the Government of India was willing to sit for negotiations minus Paresh Baruah, he said, "Good, if they come for talks." However, he also reiterated the same preconditions of abjuring violence, surrendering weapons and dropping the demand for sovereignty before coming for dialogue. "However, we have not received any offer so far," he added.

  An ULFA militant, Gobin Ojha alias Kiran Jyoti Gogoi (29) and a KLNLF cadre, Arun Terong alias John Mukran (37), laid down arms before the Inspector-General of the Assam-Meghalaya frontier of the BSF, Prithvi Raj, at a surrender ceremony during the 45th raising day of the Paramilitary Force in Shillong. "Myanmar continues to be a safe haven for the ULFA cadres after the ongoing crackdown on militants by the Bangladeshi security forces," the ULFA cadre revealed. Ojha said three camps of the ‘28th battalion’ of the ULFA were in Myanmar, located adjacent to the camps of the NSCN-K. There were at present 110 ULFA cadres in the three camps and among the prominent leaders housed there include Konkon Gohain, Bijoy Chinese, Myanmar camp ‘commander’ Bijoy Das and Montu Saikia, he said. The militants said that the new cadres had to trek several days to reach the camps set up in a forest area in Myanmar. The ULFA cadre laid down one 7.65mm pistol and 5 rounds of 7.65mm ammunition. The KLNLF militant, Terong, who was the ‘finance commander’ of the outfit, laid down a 9-mm pistol.

• November 30: Reports also mentioned that the ULFA and NSCN-K were conducting joint training for 30 newly recruited ULFA cadres in Mahadevpur, Pongchau and Bordumsa Circles of Lohit, Tirap and Changlang Districts to prepare for a possible Army crackdown in Assam and Nagaland.

• November 29: The suspected ULFA militants threatened a senior journalist of a local satellite news channel in Guwahati, in what was seen as a ‘reaction’ to a talk show telecast in the channel on the insurgency issue in the State. Nitumoni Saikia, executive editor of News Live, was threatened by two armed militants who came on a motor-cycle at Tiniali zoo in the Guwahati city and cautioned him to avoid airing comments on the ULFA. The incident occurred minutes after a talk show, hosted by Sakia, was aired projecting the ULFA in poor light.

• November 27: SFs neutralised a bunker near a bamboo grove in the backyard of Harimal Barman, a resident of Angardhowa Bilpara village in Baganpara area under Borbori Police Station in Baksa District that was frequently used by ULFA militants to draw up plans. The bunker, eight feet deep and six feet wide, accommodates more than five persons. "At least three militants took shelter inside the bunker last night," the Superintendent of Police, Nalbari, Jitmal Doley, said. "The militants take shelter inside it usually at night," a Police officer said, quoting Harimal, who informed the Police about the bunker. Sources said the Police came to know about the bunker from a photograph in a mobile phone found on a militant, Papu Sarania, who was killed in an encounter at Tihu.

  The ULFA ‘leaders’ Sasha Choudhury and Chitraban Hazarika, who were produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup for the third time since their arrest, were further remanded to another 10 days’ of Police custody. Though the Assam Police’s SOU sought 18 days Police custody of both the ULFA ‘leaders’ in connection with the January 1, 2009 blasts under Paltan Bazar Police Station and Bhangagarh Police Station, the court, however, limited the custody to another 10 days, advocate Bijon Mahajan informed. The court also directed that both the ULFA leaders would be kept in the SOU headquarters in Kahilipara. It also directed investigating officers from both the Police Stations to question them at the SOU headquarters itself during the course of the Police custody.

• November 26: One ULFA cadre was arrested by Police in the evening from a Tezpur-bound passenger bus near Tezpur Mission Chariali in Sonitpur District. Police sources said that the arrestee was later identified as Rupam Boro alias Ujjal Bora (22) of Debendranagar area under Barghat Police Outpost in Tezpur. During interrogation he confessed that he joined the outfit in 2006 and was a cadre of the 27th Battalion of ULFA.

  Mina Gogoi alias Akoni Gogoi alias Binita Bora, a woman ‘seargent’ of 28th battalion of ULFA, was arrested while four of her associates managed to escape in a joint operation by SFs at Lahdoigarh in Namtola under Sonari Police Station in Sivasagar District near Assam-Nagaland border. She is the wife of Ramen Dadhumiya, ‘area commander’ of the 28th battalion. She later confessed that the outfit had planned to carry out blasts in the Charaideo subdivision of Sivasagar District. A five kilogrammes of IED, a pistol, some photographs and a register containing details of funds collected by the outfit in Charaideo subdivision were recovered from her.

  Police launched a massive search to recover five kilogrammes of RDX which was kept in the house of Krishna Rajbongshi at Goroimari Panigaon in Nalbari District, who had allegedly planted one of the bicycle bombs in Nalbari on November 22. Krishna, who was arrested in the night of November 25, also confessed before Police that there were three more bicycles stuffed with explosives and ready to be detonated. A Police Officer said Krishna did not know about the location of the cycles. "We are trying to find out," he said, adding that Krishna was still being interrogated. Meanwhile, a college lecturer Narayan Thakuria and ULFA linkman Kumud Thakuria were also arrested for their suspected involvement in the twin blasts. "We only found the pit but the explosives which were in it were missing. Probably ULFA removed the RDX after they heard of Krishna’s arrest," the Police Officer said. "Five kilogrammes of RDX can have a devastating impact depending on where and how the explosives are placed," he said.

  The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on November 25 told a delegation of the People’s Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam (PCPIA) that the Government is ready for talks with the ULFA provided the outfit abjures violence. Chidambaram also told the delegation that the PCPIA should try to persuade the ULFA to come for talks with the Government. The delegation was accompanied by a Parliamentarian belonging to the AGP party, Biren Baishya. The delegation that is in Delhi to lobby for resumption of the dialogue with ULFA has so far met Union Minister of State in PMO Prithviraj Chavan on November 25 to submit a memorandum to restart the peace process stalled since last couple of years. However, the possibility of the Centre heeding to their demands appears remote, with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram expressing his skepticism on the ground that the remaining top leaders are all based abroad and not keen for negotiations. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is of the opinion that ULFA, currently under pressure because of the crackdown in Bangladesh and arrest of two top leaders, may be at its old game of seeking to buy time by throwing the bait of peace talks.

  The ULFA’s central committee leader Mithinga Daimary, currently lodged in the Guwahati Jail, said that the ULFA was not responsible for the recent bomb blasts at Nalbari, adding that peace talks between the banned outfit and the Union Government was the only way to find a political solution to the conflict.

• November 25: One top ranking ULFA militant, identified as Mohan Roy alias Mama alias Sukumar Kurmi, was shot dead in an encounter with SFs at No. 2 area of Bishnupur in Chirang District around 10.30 AM in the morning. Police sources confirmed that the slain ULFA militant was involved in the recent blasts at Nalbari. He was the ‘second-in-command of the 709th battalion’ of ULFA.

  The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on November 24 stated in Parliament that the Government was not going to relent in its operations against the ULFA, reports Telegraph. He said, "Owing to the counter-insurgency operations, ULFA has come under tremendous pressure. Its leadership is in disarray. Key ULFA leaders are in prison. Recently, two ULFA leaders surrendered to the Indian SFs. Three ULFA leaders are believed to be abroad and there are reports of serious differences among them. Against this background, it is our assessment that the recent incidents manifest the desperation of the banned ULFA. The State Government and the SFs are determined to intensify the counter-insurgency operations against ULFA and Ranjan Daimary fraction of NDFB."

  The ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa said the Minister’s statement was a reflection of the Government’s "colonial" mindset. He mentioned, "Our stand is clear. We will not fall at India’s feet just for the sake of talks." "The minister’s comments only confirm the fact that India does not have the courage to sit across the table on the issue of sovereignty," Rajkhowa said, adding that the outfit was keen on a political settlement with Delhi but not at the cost of its own pride and dignity.

  A senior member of the PCG, Mukul Mahanta, said that the given stand of both the Centre and ULFA, any hope of a "negotiated" settlement had all but evaporated.

• November 24: Sentinel quoting intelligence sources said a group of the ULFA militants comprising 10 cadres, including a woman cadre, has entered Assam through the Assam-Nagaland border and sheltering in its adjoining areas to carry out subversive activities in the District. Sources also said the proscribed militant group has been restructuring itself in five upper Assam districts since last couple of months. Sources said the militant group has been carrying out a new membership drive in upper Assam Districts particularly in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar.

• November 23: A ULFA cadre, Dhanti Dutta, was arrested by the Assam Rifles personnel at Lungwa-Phomching road in Mon District. One 303 rifle along with magazine and 10 live rounds and other incriminating documents were recovered from his possession.

• November 23: The ‘chairman’ of the ULFA, Arabinda Rajkhowa, condemned the blasts in Nalbari town on November 22 and said that the blasts were aimed at derailing the peace process. In a statement sent to the media through e-mail, the ULFA ‘chairman’ said that the blasts were triggered off by the enemies of the indigenous people of Assam. He called upon all concerned, including the militant outfits, to desist from killing innocent people and asked the authorities to pay adequate compensation to the families of those killed.

• November 22: Suspected ULFA militants triggered two powerful bomb blasts barely 50 meters from the Sadar Police Station in Nalbari town, which killed seven people and injured 54 others at around 10 AM in the morning. The IEDs, planted on two bicycles, were kept in front of a tea stall and a saloon which were blown up. The deceased were identified as Paban Thakur, the owner of a nearby saloon, Sikandar Thakur, an employee of the saloon, Dipu Das, a driver, Ganesh Das, a businessman, Keshab Das, an employee of an insurance company and Mahabat Ali, a gaonburah (village head man) of Nalbari town. The Superintendent of Police of Nalbari District, Jitmal Doley, said that ULFA militants are suspected to be behind the blasts.

  The ULFA is responsible for the Nalbari blasts, said Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma in a press meet organised at Silchar Medical College.

  The ULFA denied its involvement in twin bomb blasts in Nalbari. "ULFA is in no way involved in the bomb blasts and it is just a conspiracy by a certain section to derail the talks process," Hira Sarania, the 'commander' of the 709^th Battalion of ULFA, told a news channel. "The allegation is totally motivated and has been made to discredit the organisation. There have been several occasions in the past too when such misinformation had been made against us," Sarania added.

• November 20: The SFs shot dead a ULFA militant, a hitman of the outfit who led the Golaghat train attack, at Padumguri under Jalukbari Police station in Guwahati city. A police official said two suspected militants had got down from a truck on Guwahati bypass (National Highway 37) in the morning and were walking down Binoy Tamuli Path at Padumguri under Jalukbari Police Station when a Police team spotted them and asked them to stop. "They started running while firing at us. One of the militants, who was carrying a backpack, managed to escape under the cover of fog and darkness. But his accomplice was hit by bullets," he added. A 7.65mm bore pistol and three rounds of ammunition were recovered from the site.

• November 19: The ULFA has set up bases in China and other foreign countries with the help of money extorted in the State, two senior ULFA leaders, Chitrabon Hazarika and Sashadhar Choudhury, have reportedly told the Police during interrogation. ULFA 'foreign secretary' Sashadhar Choudhury and 'finance secretary' Chitraban Hazarika, now in Police remand since November 6, 2009, told interrogators that apart from Bangladesh they have bases in China and other foreign countries. "Millions of rupees have been extorted from Assam and transferred to ULFA leaders in Bangladesh, China and other countries where they have established hideouts," the Special Operations Unit (SOU) of Assam Police quoted the two leaders as confessing. Several foreign agencies and NGOs provided logistic assistance to the ULFA leaders in foreign countries. The interrogation report was submitted to the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Guwahati. Sashadhar Choudhury and Chitrabon Hazarika also confessed that their 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah is not only procuring arms from Chinese manufacturers but also selling them to militant outfits such as NDFB, NLFT, ATTF and CPI-Maoist.

• November 17: Suspected ULFA militants blew up a petrol-laden train at Changpool in the Golaghat District. The train was bound for the State of Uttar Pradesh from the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL). A railway spokesperson said that the train with 48 wagons of high-speed diesel and petrol from the NRL caught fire near Changpool. At least 20 wagons went up in flames and a loss of INR 100 million has been estimated, officials said. "We initially thought that the fire broke out after the train jumped the rails. But now we believe that it was because of a powerful explosion on the rail track. We have managed to recover wires and other materials used in triggering blasts from the site," a senior Assam Police official said. At least 10 more wagons were derailed and the petroleum product spilled on to the ground. The area is a stronghold of both the ULFA and AANLA.

• November 15: Former ULFA 'spokesman' Sunil Nath said that a small ULFA team from Assam went to Jaffna in Sri Lanka in the early 1990s when the LTTE controlled the northern peninsula. "We got in touch with the LTTE through a Tamil Nadu politician." Sunil Nath said in a telephonic interview from Assam. According to Sunil Nath, who has since quit the ULFA and is now a journalist, two ULFA militants were picked to spend some time getting training from the LTTE. But the ULFA men returned to India within a week.

  The ULFA leaders, Sashadhar Choudhury and Chitraban Hazarika, claimed that the 'commander-in-chief' of the outfit, Paresh Baruah, was the main person running the group currently. They claimed that Baruah keeps shifting to countries like China, Myanmar and Thailand and he still has strong contacts in China.

• November 12: The 'cultural secretary' of ULFA, Pranati Deka, said that peace talks between the Government and the ULFA are possible if the former wants so. Replying to a reporter's queries when she was being produced in the court in Guwahati in connection with a case against her, Deka said "The ULFA problems can be solved if the Government of India takes steps with due respect to our demands. I believe in peaceful solution to the ULFA problems through talks."

• November 11: 19 militants belonging to the NDFB, KLNLF, AANLA and ULFA surrendered before the Dah Division's headquarter at Dinjan in Dibrugarh District. Speaking on the occasion, Major General B.S. Sachar, the GOC of Dah Division, attributed the large-scale surrender to the peace initiatives of the Government and support from the local people.

• November 10: A group of newly trained ULFA militants have reportedly been asked to enter Assam and launch attacks to avenge the arrest of the outfit's leaders Chitrabon Hazarika and Sasha Choudhury, intelligence sources have revealed, triggering a security alert along the India-Myanmar border. A source said radio intercepts over the last few days suggested that a group comprising about 25 cadres from the 28th battalion had been asked to break up into smaller units to enter Assam. "We believe there could be strikes in retaliation to the arrest of Choudhury and Hazarika to show ULFA is as strong as ever," a source in the Army said. The 28th battalion had recruited about 50-60 cadres in 2008, soon after the Alpha and the Charlie companies of the battalion came over-ground by declaring a unilateral cease-fire. "These cadres have completed training in Myanmar and Nagaland's Mon District and are ready for battle," the unnamed official said.

• November 9: The dawn-to-dusk Assam bandh (shutdown) called by the ULFA passed of peacefully, evoking mixed response. The outfit called the bandh in protest against the arrest of two of its top leaders, Sasha Choudhury and Chitraban Hazarika.

• November 8: Two unidentified ULFA cadres were shot dead by the Police in an encounter at Guardal on the Tihu-Akhara Road in Nalbari District in the evening. Police sources said that two ULFA cadres laid an ambush targeting Nalbari SP Jitmol Doley and fired at the SP and other personnel accompanying him. In the encounter that followed, the two ULFA cadres were shot dead. Two 9 mm pistols were recovered from the possession of the slain militants.

• November 7: Two top ULFA leaders, Sashadhar Choudhury and Chitraban Hazairka, were produced by the Special Operation Unit of the Assam Police in the court of Chief Metropolitan Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup. Although the Police sought 14-day custody of the two, the court remanded them to 10 days, said Bijan Mahajan, senior advocate and counsel for the two ULFA leaders. The ULFA leaders, believed to have been arrested in Dhaka in the midnight of November 1 and handed over to the BSF in Tripura on November 6, were flown in a chartered aircraft to the city and immediately taken away to headquarters of the Special Branch of Assam Police at Kahilipara. However, replying to questions from journalists, Choudhury said they had not surrendered and that Bangladesh Police commandos arrested them. Of the 16 members of the ULFA's central executive committee, four are in a Guwahati jail: 'vice-chairman' Pradip Gogoi, 'adviser' Bhimkanta Buragohain, 'cultural secretary' Pranati Deka, 'central publicity secretary' Mithinga Daimari. Another leader Ramu Mech is on parole.

  The ULFA called for a 12-hour State wide general shutdown from 6 a.m. on November 9 demanding unconditional release of the two arrested leaders. In a statement issued through an e-mail, ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa described the arrest of the two leaders as a "ploy to sabotage the process of finding a political solution to the problem and destroy ULFA militarily."

• November 6: The 'foreign secretary' Sashadhar Choudhury and 'finance secretary' Chitraban Hazarika of ULFA surrendered before the BSF personnel at Gokul Nagar BSF camp, 20 kilometres south of Agartala city, along the India-Bangladesh international border in the Tripura in the night. Bangladesh Security Agencies neutralised some hideouts of leaders of the ULFA in the night of November 1, prompting the cadres to flee. Internal clashes among ULFA cadres are also said to have forced some militants to flee. During interrogation, the ULFA leaders confessed they fled the neighbouring country as they were facing threat to their lives from their colleagues, the official sources said. The internal sources, however, said that the two ULFA leaders were handed over by the BDR to BSF after DGFI personnel picked them up from a safe house in Uttara area of Dhaka following high-level diplomatic intervention by India. As reported on November 5, India had opened diplomatic channels as soon as it was confirmed that the leaders were detained by security agencies in Dhaka on November 1-night. Meanwhile, sources reported that the former KLO 'chief' Jiban Singh, who is presently under the custody of Bangladesh Police, has reportedly informed the Bangladesh security forces about the whereabouts of the ULFA leaders in Bangladesh. Bangladesh authorities had assured India of greater cooperation in the coming months against the anti-India militant outfits based there and also of the possible handing over of top leaders like Ranjan Daimary of the pro-sovereignty faction of NDFB and Biswamohan Debbarma of NLFT. The sudden crackdown by Dhaka is seen as part of a fresh initiative to please India ahead of the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ensuing visit to India.

• November 5: Following confirmation of detention of two top ULFA leaders by Bangladesh, India opened diplomatic channels to get them back into the country. The 'deputy commander-in-chief' of ULFA, Raju Baruah, however, claimed that their two leaders were already handed over to India by Bangladesh. Without naming India, Raju Baruah told a section of media in Assam through e-mail or telephonic talk that Bangladeshi intelligence officials arrested the duo from the Sector 3 area in Dhaka and handed them over to the "enemy". Raju Baruah further said that Bangladesh Police had raided some other areas in Dhaka where, they believed, the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa was hiding. He also warned Bangladesh that the sovereignty of the country would be at stake if it did not set Sashadhar and Chitraban free. Meanwhile, the Indian Home Ministry officials denied this claim made by the ULFA.

  Suspected ULFA militants shot dead a 13-year-old nephew of a surrendered ULFA (SULFA) cadre, apparently in a case of mistaken identity, in the Balichapori village under Garmurh Police station of Majuli in the Jorhat District in the night. The Police also recovered two empty cartridges of AK-47 rifles from the incident site. Jintu Bora, a Class VIII student of Kathimotia High School, was shot dead when he and his uncle, Dipak Bora, a surrendered ULFA cadre, were about to enter their house at Balichapori village under around 11pm (IST) after returning from Ras festivities. Sources said Dipak was the target of the ULFA militants as he was a Police informer and had played a crucial role in the killing of ULFA militant Amrit Dutta, a key accused in the Sanjoy Ghose murder case. Dutta was killed in an encounter with SFs in Majuli early 2009. Dipak had joined ULFA in 1995 and was a cadre of the Bravo Company of 28th Battalion and later surrendered in 2007.

• November 4: Dulen Saikia, a surrendered ULFA militant, was arrested by the Guwahati City Police on charges of collecting extortion money in the name of the ULFA outfit.

• November 3: Two persons were arrested by the Police when they were trying to extort money in the guise of ULFA cadres in capital Dispur. "The fake ULFA cadres were arrested after a tip-off," Police said.

• November 2: Two suspected ULFA militants were arrested by the Security Force personnel at an unidentified location in the Morigaon District. A 9 mm pistol with six rounds of ammunition and a motorcycle were recovered from the possession of the arrested militants.

• November 1: The 'foreign secretary' Sashadhar Choudhury and 'finance secretary' Chitraban Hazarika of the ULFA were arrested by intelligence officials from the Sector 3 area of Dhaka in the midnight.

• October 29: The Union Government initiated its first round of formal talks with the pro-talks faction of the ULFA. Leaders of the pro-talks faction, Mrinal Hazarika, Jiten Dutta and Prabal Neog, held nearly an hour-long meeting with the Assistant Director of Intelligence Bureau, R.N. Ravi, in Guwahati. "We hope that the talks will lead us to the right direction," Mrinal Hazarika said after the meeting. The pro-talks ULFA faction had earlier announced it was giving up its demand for sovereignty or independence and instead wanted greater autonomy, inner-line permit, total sealing of international border etc for Assam. There were no representatives from the Assam Government in the meeting.

• October 25: The ULFA alleged that the Government of India is not interested in restoration of permanent peace in Assam. In a statement e-mailed to the media, the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said that the Government of India was adopting different yardstick for talks with different outfits. He said the Government has been demanding that the ULFA should surrender weapons for talks, while, talks with Naga outfits have been going on for years without surrender of arms. Rajkhowa said the Chief Minister of West Bengal even released as many as 23 members of Maoist groups to hold talks with them and the Government of India has been adopting a separate policy only for Assam.

• October 23: A suspected ULFA militant, believed to be on a bombing mission to the Guwahati city, was shot dead in an encounter with Police at Pamohi under Gorchuk Police Station around 2 AM (IST). A 9mm pistol and a polythene bag containing one-and-a-half kilograms of explosive powder, detonators and timers were recovered from the incident site. "On examination, bomb experts said the powder could be TNT. However, we have sent samples to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kahilipara for confirmation," the Police official said.

• October 22: Five ULFA militants, including a girl, surrendered before the Assam Police in Goalpara District. They were identified as Jayanta Rabha, Machin Rabha, Dulendra Rabha, Durgeswar Rabha and Damayanti Rabha. They deposited an AK-56 rifle and two pistols.

  Two cadres of the 28^th battalion of the ULFA surrendered before the Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner Gyanendra Dev Tripathy in Dibrugarh District. The duo was identified as Sontu Changmai alias Bijoy Bailung and Pranab Duwara alias Simanta Gogoi. They deposited two pistols along with eight rounds live ammunition and a radio set.

• October 20: The Bangladesh Government on October 19 launched a massive hunt for arresting some cadres of two Indian militant outfits — United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), including its ‘chief’ D.K. Roy, according to Sentinel. In the light of information extracted from ‘military commander’ of the ULFA Bimol Roy during his interrogation at the Task Force Interrogation (TFI) cell Security Force personnel are trying to arrest the militants, sources close to the TFI cell said. Bimol confessed that he was an active member of ULFA, the sources said. D.K. Roy, chief of the KLO, provided Bimol with shelter at his Dhaka’s Pallabi residence. D.K. Roy, who is suspected to have stolen the Nobel Prize citation of Rabindranath Tagore from Shanti Niketan in India, has been residing in Bangladesh for many years, the sources added. A team of the Detective Branch arrested Bimol from the Pallabi residence of D. K. Roy on October 6. After the expiry of remand, the Police also took Bimol on a fresh three-day remand on October 8.

• October 19: A cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from Amarpur and Deopani Reserve forests under Sadiya Police Station in Tinsukia District. The cache, hidden in sacks and buried by suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants in the forests, include one AK-56 rifle, one SLR, a grenade launcher, four 9-mm pistols, four pen pistols, two grenades, 13 pistol magazines, 35 kilograms of RDX and some currency.

  The Security Forces recovered a letter which shows evidence of the ULFA purchasing arms from the LTTE of Sri Lanka. The letter, written in Assamese, mentioned that the outfit had paid a huge amount of money to the LTTE very recently to purchase arms. "The money was probably paid just before the downfall of the LTTE," a senior army officer said. Although there were unconfirmed reports earlier about ULFA’s links with the LTTE, the letter was the first hard evidence of such links.

• October 18: Five militants, including a woman, of the 28th battalion of the ULFA were arrested. Two militants, hailing from Amguri in the Sibsagar District, were arrested from the Hengerabari area of Guwahati city. In addition, three more militants, including the woman, were arrested from the Gandhibasti area of Guwahati. A 9-mm pistol along with some arms and ammunition were recovered from the possession of the arrested militants. While two of them were identified as a militant couple from Sibsagar, the other one hailed from Sualkuchi near Guwahati.

• October 14: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the Union Government would hold talks with the ULFA only after it lays down arms and warned that otherwise Security Forces would take appropriate action.

  The Government of Bangladesh has directed the Security Forces to keep vigilance to prevent any kind of subversive activities by the ULFA in the country. State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku told. Referring to the recent crackdown on militants, the minister said no militants would be able to escape the dragnet.

• October 12: The Army personnel arrested one ULFA cadre, identified as Paresh Deka, from Chamatiapara village near Deomornai area in Darrang District.

• October 11: A ULFA militant, identified as Prasanta Bora, was arrested by the Police from New Balighat area of Lakhimpur District. Bora belongs to the 28^th Battalion of the outfit.

• October 7: One ULFA militant was shot dead during an encounter with the Army personnel at Donghap hill under Dokmoka Police Station in Karbi Anglong District at around 4.10am (IST). However, another ULFA militant was managed to escape taking advantage of the dense forest. An Italy-made pistol along with some empty cartridges was recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

• October 3: Three ULFA militants were shot dead by troops during an encounter near Kendubari village in the Nalbari District. "Based on specific intelligence about the presence of three ULFA militants in the area, an army column laid an ambush and there was a firefight in which the militants were shot dead," an Army official said. A carbine, pistols, grenades, detonators and gelatine sticks were recovered from the possession of the slain militants. "Probably the militants were planning to strike during the Durga Puja festival and hence carrying explosives," the official added.

• September 26: Two unidentified militants shot dead a surrendered ULFA cadre, Gunojit Bhorali (30), at Baganpara in Baksa District.

• September 23: The ULFA is reported to have shifted its bases and training camps from Bangladesh to Kachin in eastern Myanmar. Army intelligence sources said there was credible information that the ULFA had set up camps in Kachin jointly with militant groups of Manipur like the PLA and UNLF. The ULFA has made the move with the help of Kachin rebels, mainly the KIA, which is in a cease-fire with the military regime in Myanmar, they added. "It is back to square one for ULFA. During its initial days, the outfit had its training camps in Kachin but later shifted to Bangladesh. Now, the outfit is back to Kachin, which is indeed disturbing news for us," a source said.

• September 18: The Police arrested two militants of the '27th battalion' of ULFA, identified as Satya Baishya and Abdul Mazan Bora, from Baihata Chariali in Kamrup District. A revolver and three rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, ULFA's letter pad and some extortion notes were recovered from their possession.

  The SFs arrested an ULFA linkman, Jaiprakash Rai (27) of Khudra Derugaon Suterpara village in Kokrajhar District.

• September 16: Police arrested two ULFA militants at Panitema and Dhirenpra respectively in Kamrup District. Police arrested Hemanta Deka (30) at Panitema Village under Kamalpur Police station. Following his confession, another ULFA militant, Bakul Boro, was arrested at Dhirenpara in Guwahati. Some writing pads of the outfit and a number of mobile SIM cards were recovered from their possession. The arrested ULFA cadres belong to the 709^th battalion.

  Police arrested two ULFA linkmen who demanded extortion money of INR four hundred thousand from a school teacher of Mulabari area in Baihata Chariali. The duo were identified as Bhabajyoti Choudhury and Kalyan Nath of Baihata Chariali.

  Assam Government's Principal Secretary (Home), Subhas Das, visited the Kakopathar designated camp of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA in Tinsukia District, where he held a discussion with its leaders.

• September 15: The self-styled 'sergeant major' of 28^th battalion of the ULFA, Niren Sharma alias Tarun Gogoi, surrendered before the SFs during a surrender ceremony held at Dinjan Military Station in Dibrugarh District. He deposited one AK 56 rifle and a hand grenade. Niren, who hailed from Sivasagar District, had been with the outfit since 1987 and had received military training in Bhutan in 1997. His wife Devika Gohain, a 'second lieutenant' of the 28^th battalion of ULFA, was arrested by the Army personnel on September 3.

• September 10: SFs arrested two ULFA militants, identified as Binoy Baruah alias Dibyajyoti Gohain (24), a resident of Kathalguri village, and Tilanku Moran alias Satyajit Moran alias Sanakya (26), a resident of Mamaroni village, from Kakojan in the Tinsukhia District. Sources said that the SFs started operations based on reports about extortion demands being placed on small tea estates and businessmen in the area. Two 9-mm pistols, seven live rounds, extortion pads, mobile phones and other incriminating material were recovered from the possession of the arrested militants. Sources added that these two militants were absconders from the ULFA cease-fire group camp at Kakopathar.

  The TADA court in Guwahati sentenced Ronkur Dutta, a senior ULFA cadre, to life imprisonment. Dutta was accused of murdering a Police officer.

• September 7: Police arrested one suspected ULFA cadre, Hemchandra Moran (30), son of Umesh Moran of Bormesai village of Kokopathar, on charges of extortion from Chabua area of Dibrugarh District. The Police arrested Hemchandra when he along with another militant went to Dikam Sessa for collection of extortion money. However, the other militant managed to escape. Police recovered a two wheeler used by the militant.

• September 6: A ‘Sergeant Major’ of the 709th Battalion of the ULFA, Pranay Ray alias Prabin alias Manaranjan (32), was shot dead by the Security Force personnel in a search operation at Kalipukri under Kokrajhar Police Station of Kokrajhar District. Police sources said that the slain militant was taking shelter in the house of one Biren Roy at Tilapara village. One 7.62 mm pistol with 19 live ammunition, one Chinese-made grenade, four mobile handsets, a satellite phone, one detonator, two empty cartridges and incriminating documents were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

• September 3: The SFs arrested a ‘second lieutenant’ of the ULFA, Devika Gohain, from Titlaghar in the Sivasagar District. Devika, the wife of ULFA leader Niren Sarma, was arrested from the residence of Ajit Bharali.

• September 1: A ‘sergeant major’ of the ULFA, Niren Sarma, was shot dead in an encounter with the SFs at Bhaskarbari Chariali in the Dibrugarh District. One pistol, six rounds of ammunition and a mobile phone were recovered from his possession.

• August 30: The two employees of a Garo Hills-based cement company, abducted by suspected ULFA militants on August 21, were released in the Rongjuli area of Goalpara District. According to sources, the duo, Virgo Cement Industries manager Sambhu Dhanuka and chief engineer PK Hori, were abducted from near the cement plant at Damas on the Meghalaya-Assam border in the afternoon. They were held hostage for ransom at Simantala village in Goalpara District. Though it is not yet known who the abductors were, Assam Police suspect that the Viper Rabha Army, a lesser-known militant group, was involved in the incident. Viper Rabha Army is believed to enjoy the patronage of Assam-based ULFA. The ULFA had reportedly hired the services of Viper Rabha Army for its activities in Goalpara and parts of Garo Hills. However, the ULFA has denied any role in the abduction.

• August 29: SFs shot dead two ULFA militants at Nagapara hills under Boko Police station in the Kamrup District. Army sources said about four militants were taking shelter in a house and when the SFs raided the house, the militants opened fire. In the ensuing gunbattle, two militants died while two others escaped under cover of darkness. The site of the incident is about 50 kilometers from the capital city Guwahati. Though the two militants are yet to be identified, Police claimed that both were from the 709th battalion of ULFA and probably new recruits. One five kilograms of improvised explosive device, a grenade, one 9-mm pistol, ammunition and an unspecified amount of Bangladeshi currency notes were recovered from the possession of the slain militants.

• August 27: Two unidentified ULFA militants were shot dead at Golbeel under Barma Police Station in the Baksa District in the morning.

• August 26: SF personnel arrested three ULFA cadres, identified as Dilip Kalita alias Pranjal Deka, Thaneshwar Kalita alias Thanu and Dina Kalita from Debananda Satra village in Mangaldai District, reports Sentinel. According to sources the militants were belong to 27th Battalion of ULFA. Five black extortion notes were recovered from their possession.

• August 23: The Government of India asked Bangladesh to deport ULFA leader Anup Chetia, reports Assam Tribune. Chetia, whose real name is Golap Baruah, has been in jail since his arrest in Dhaka in January 1998 from Shyamoli area under the Foreigners Act and the Passports Act. After completion of Chetia’s jail term, India has asked Bangladesh to handover him. Bangladesh has so far not given any response but India is hopeful that it would accede to the request considering the new Government’s resolve to root out terrorism and the new impetus being imparted to bilateral ties. Chetia has been seeking political asylum in Bangladesh or deportation to any country other than India but those petitions are pending.

  Sentinel quoting an unconfirmed report said that the Union Government has already contacted the ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah through middlemen and expressed its willingness for unconditional peace talks with the outfit outside India. The ULFA is yet to react to the recent media report that Paresh Baruah was arrested from a hideout in Manipur.

  Police arrested one ULFA militant, Montu Kachari of Numuligarh, and a linkman, Tapan Bora of Baruah Gaon, from Bokakhat town in the Golaghat District. Some extortion notes were recovered from their possession.

• August 21: Two senior employees of a cement factory were abducted by suspected ULFA militants from near their factory at Damas area in the afternoon, when they were traveling in a vehicle to their main office at Dudhnoi of Goalpara District in Assam. They were identified as Sambu Danuka and P.K. Hori. Subsequently, the Police recovered the abandoned vehicle from Miapara village, five kilometers away from Damas. Sources said the prime suspect was the ‘108 battalion’ of the ULFA led by Gulit Das which was operating in the area. Unconfirmed reports indicated that the ULFA carried out the abduction in retaliation for the company not complying with its demand for a huge amount of ‘donations’.

• August 20: Telegraph reports that the pro-talks group of the ULFA has sought an urgent discussion with the Assam Government as their cadres were getting frustrated after waiting for more than a year. "If we do not get a positive response, we will have to decide on our future course of action," Prabal Neog, a leader of the pro-talks faction, who has been camping in the capital Guwahati since August 19, told. He said he would meet Principal Secretary (Home) S.C. Das as soon as he returns from Delhi. Neog said the cadres were frustrated and it had become difficult for the leaders to keep on convincing them that there would be some progress. He said several cadres have already deserted the designated camps in the past few months and a few have joined the ULFA while some have surrendered to the Security Forces. Jiten Dutta, another leader of the group, said the blame would rest entirely on the Government if talks failed this time and the cadres took some drastic steps. "We will not say now as to what we will do but we will take some decisive steps. The government has turned a deaf ear towards the issue. Despite repeated requests to clear its stand, there is simply no response from the government. This will be our final meeting with the government as we want to clear the air once and for all," he warned. The cadres of the pro-talks group are at present housed in three designated camps in the Tinsukia and Nalbari Districts.

• August 19: The CBI filed a chargesheet in Dr P.C. Ram abduction case before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Guwahati and stated that the ULFA was paid INR 3.2 million on June 5, 2007 as the first instalment of the demanded ransom. The money was handed over to an ULFA cadre, Tapan Rai, near the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport on the same day. The abductors had demanded INR 2100 million for the release of the senior Food Corporation of India official. Amongst the 17 persons charge-sheeted, top ranking leader and ‘commander’ of the ‘709 battalion’ of the ULFA, Hira Sarania, has been named as the prime conspirator. Rabiram Basumatary, the driver of FCI Executive Director Dr. P.C. Ram, was also named as one of the conspirators, though his name along with six others did not feature in the chargesheet as they had died during the course of the investigation. All the accused have been charge sheeted under Sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) and 364(a) (abduction for ransom) of the Indian Penal Code. Six Police officials who were arrested earlier in this connection have, however, been acquitted. Dr Ram, who was abducted from near his Sreenagar residence on April 17, remained in the abductor’s custody till his death in a cross-fire between Police and his abductors on July 12, 2007.

• August 16: A ULFA militant, identified as Khogen Konwar alias Nayan Jyoti Gogoi, was arrested from Bhojo railway station under Sonari Police station in Sivasagar District.

• August 14: Seven TNT slabs, each weighing about 1.5 kilograms, 10 electronic detonators, six 9-volt batteries and a bundle of fuse wire, were recovered near Ukium on the outskirts of Guwahati along the Assam-Meghalaya border. The arrest of a ULFA cadre, Mintu Rabha alias Raju, from Jyotinagar in Guwahati led to the recovery. The explosives were hidden under stones. A 9-mm pistol was also recovered from the possession of Rabha.

• August 13: A ULFA bomb expert heading for oil town Duliajan was arrested by a combined team of the Army, Central Reserve Police Force personnel and local Police from a night super bus near Dirai under Rajgarh Police Outpost of Dibrugarh District.

• The BSF personnel arrested one active ULFA linkman, identified as Mukti Bora (32), at Pushpa Bandha Chaudang Pathar village in Golaghat District. According to official sources, Bora tried to escape when the Police entered his house during the operation. The BSF recovered a demand draft amounting to INR five hundred thousand, signed by a senior cadre of the '28th battalion' of ULFA, Golap Sonwai.

• August 12: A 13-member team of woman cadres belonging to the ULFA and the Ranjan Daimary faction of the NDFB entered the Guwahati city to trigger subversive activities ahead of the Independence Day (August 15), latest intelligence inputs gathered by the Assam Police stated.

• August 11: Quoting sources in the intelligence agencies, Shillong Times has reported that the ULFA and NDFB have already set up temporary hideouts in Bhutan, contrary to the claims made by Bhutan that Indian militants do not put their bases anymore in that country. This report from an Indian intelligence agency came in the backdrop of the claim at the Seventh Border Coordination Development Meeting held at Thimphu (Bhutan), which dismissed reports about the ULFA and NDFB militants setting up permanent camps on its soil. According to official sources in Guwahati, the ULFA and NDFB militants were reorganising and attempting to sneak into Bhutan. New Delhi has reportedly informed Thimphu of the intrusion of about 30 militants into its soil. "We have information that they (ULFA and NDFB) have set up temporary hideouts there in the wake of stepped up counter-insurgency operations, especially in Lower Assam," an officer from the Military Intelligence said.

• August 10: The NDFB, ULFA, KLO of Assam, Manipur Peoples Liberation Front (MPLF) of Manipur and Tripura Peoples Democratic Front (TPDF) of Tripura jointly called a General Strike from 1am (IST) to 6.30pm (IST) on August 15 in the Northeast and called for to boycott of Independence Day.

• August 9: Suspected ULFA militants triggered a low-intensity explosion on a railway track at Harimura, around six kilometres from the Goalpara railway station in Goalpara District, damaging five sleepers. However, there were no casualties. The explosive went off ahead of a Guwahati-bound goods train. Sources said the driver had heard the blast and slowed the train. Railway sources said the train moved on after the sleepers were replaced. Police sources suspect that the Saraighat Express might have been the target of the blast.

• August 7: 28 militants of various outfits surrendered before the Assam Rifles at Lekhapani in Tinsukia District. The surrendered militants included eight ULFA cadres, eight AANLA cadres, three NSCN-IM cadres, seven NSCN-K cadres and three NSCN-U cadres.

  Two senior ULFA cadres surrendered with a cache of arms and ammunition in the Tezpur town of Sonitpur District. The surrendered cadres were identified as Dhaneswar Borkakoty alias Bhaiti and Prafulla Saikia alias Bahni Tamuly. Dhaneswar had joined the outfit in 1990 while the latter had joined in 1989. Dhaneswar deposited a cache of arms and ammunition comprising one AK 56 rifle, one AK series magazine, 90 rounds live cartridges of AK series, 750 grams of RDX, 3.8 kilograms of TNT explosives, six PTED switches, one 1.6 kilogram IED and one detonator, while Prafulla surrendered one M 20 pistol, two M 20 pistol magazine, 10 rounds live cartridge, one PTED switch, 800 grams TNT explosives and one detonator.

• August 5: Police arrested a linkman of '709 battalion' of the ULFA, identified as Mintu Kalita (22), son of Krishna Ram Kalita, a resident of Bamundi Kailashpur under Saulkuchi Police Station of Kamrup District.

  One ULFA militant, Golok Deka alias Jitu Saikia (28), was arrested by the SFs from Morigaon town of Morigaon District at 11am (IST). Three mobile phones and some incriminating documents were recovered from his possession.

  Army personnel neutralized an ULFA transit camp from the Namsang reserve forest along the Buri Dehing River in Dibrugarh District. Two revolvers, two .12 bore guns, a magazine of AK-47 rifle with 120 rounds, explosives, cordex, detonators, combat dresses and utensils were recovered from the camp.

• August 2: The SFs arrested a women cadre of the ULFA, identified as Rumi Baishya of Hatitari Gaon, at Musalpur under Baksa Police Station in Baksa District. 23 Aircel and Reliance SIM cards and various indiscriminating documents were recovered from her possession. Purnima Baishya and Nirupama Baishya, the aunt and mother of Rumi respectively, were also arrested for further investigation.

  The SFs arrested two ULFA linkmen, identified as Himata Sarma alias Deep (19) and his brother Himanshu Sarma alias Tapan (22), from their residence at Pati Darrang under Mongoldoi Police Station in Darrang District. One 22-mm locally-made revolver and two extortion notes of the ULFA were recovered from their residence.

• July 31: Contractors engaged in setting up a 33 KV Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) sub-station at Sriram Sapori village in Majuli of Jorhat District, fled after receiving extortion notes from the ULFA. A source said that the ASEB had commissioned the setting up of two sub-stations - a 132 KV at Garmur and the other 33 KV one at Sriram Sapori under the Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutkaran Yojana scheme of the Government of India. The two sub-stations would benefit about 7,000 families living in 200 villages in both the places. However, work at the 33 KV sub-station is incomplete following a threat to contractors by the ULFA. The source said that the contractors fled for fear of their lives after receiving extortion notes signed by M. Deka Phukan and Bijoy Das belonging to the '28^th Battalion' of the ULFA.

• July 30: Police arrested a ULFA linkman, Dilip Gogoi, from Mohura Ali area in the Golaghat District. Police sources said Gogoi, along with one Jayanta Baruah, was distributing extortion notices to businessmen in Golaghat town in the name of the ULFA. The whereabouts of Jayant is not known, the report added.

  Jitul Rajkhowa, president of the Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad of Golaghat District sammittee (committee), was arrested for demanding INR 400000 in the name of the ULFA. He had reportedly threatened one Mohammad Nurul Sultan, an official of the District Rural Development Authority Department.

  The ULFA alleged that the killing of senior journalist Parag Das was a 'pre-planned conspiracy' by the Government which was evident in the acquittal of the prime accused on July 28. The ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa said in a statement that the acquittal of Mridul Phukan, the prime suspect, "was a preplanned conspiracy" to kill the noted journalist 13 years ago.

• July 29: The Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced that the Government would take care of the treatment of ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah if he surrenders, reports Assam Tribune. Talking to media persons in Guwahati, Gogoi said the Government does not have conformed news of the sickness of the ULFA leader. "We have seen media reports in this regard, but we are not in a position to confirm or deny the reports." Gogoi also said the BW outfit has expressed its desire to come forward for talks but the Government would take a final decision in this regard in consultation with the Union Government. The Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai is scheduled to arrive in Assam on July 30 and the issue will be discussed, he added.

  A ULFA militant, identified as Bastav Bora alias Rupjyoti Gogoi, was arrested by the SFs from a restaurant near the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh District. A hand grenade, three kilograms of TNT and other explosives materials were recovered from his possession.

• July 26: The Army personnel recovered a cache of explosives from an adjacent location of the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest under Digboi Police Station in Tinsukia District. Sources said the explosives were stored by the ULFA to trigger blasts ahead of the outfit's 'martyrs' day' on July 28 or on the nation's Independence Day (August 15).

  Two ULFA linkmen, Sadhuram Koch and Jayanta Hasong, were arrested from Majari village in Dhubri District along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

• July 25: The SFs arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Upen Sarma, from Punia village under Mangaldai Police Station in Darrang District.

• July 24: A ULFA militant was shot dead while two others managed to escape during an encounter with SFs in the Bairagi area under Pathacharkuchi Police Station of Barpeta District in the morning. One US-made pistol and seven bullets were recovered from the slain militant's possession.

  Quoting an official source in the Home Department of Assam, Telegraph said an alert was announced about the plans of a 300-member group of youths to sneak into the State for carrying out subversive activities after being trained by Maoist rebels in Jharkhand over the past three years. An official in the Home Department said these youths, most of them members of an organisation ostensibly espousing the cause of farmers and also believed to be a frontal organisation of ULFA, had left Assam during 2006-2007. "Most of these youths are from areas where the organisation was active till a few months back. Now it is trying to form District-level committees throughout the state. Most of these youths are from Golaghat and Nagaon Districts. We have names of some of them who had disappeared since 2006. Some of these youths may have even been taking shelter in the Lalgarh area of West Bengal, which was till a few days back a stronghold of Maoist rebels," the official said. He said there were reports of the ULFA striking a deal with the Maoists and that these trained youths had been assigned to carry out subversive activities in the State. "ULFA has been trying since long to work together with the Maoist rebels operating in India, who have links with China," the official added. Sources said the organisation had strong bases in the Doyang and Tengani areas of Golaghat District and Kaki in Nagaon District. "We also have information that arms for these youths may have already arrived in the state. We are keeping a close watch on these areas," he added further.

• July 23: An unidentified ULFA militant was arrested following an encounter with the Security Forces in Nagaon District.

• July 21: The Union Government confirmed reports that self-styled 'commander-in-chief' of ULFA, Paresh Baruah, may have moved out of Bangladesh for some time. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mullapally Ramachandran, was replying to a question in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) on reports of Baruah moving to China. However, details in this regard are not available, the Minister added. The Minister also confirmed that a fresh list of prominent militant leaders and criminals based in Bangladesh including those against whom Red Corner Notice have been issued has been handed over to Director General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) during the recent Director General level Border Coordination Conference at Dhaka from July 11-14.

  Police arrested one Achyut Deka from Ghograpar area of Nalbari District at around 11 pm (IST) in the night, who was trying to extort money from people in the disguise of ULFA. Sources said that Deka had served an extortion note of INR 500000 to Dr Pranabjyoti Deka, a local physician. The doctor while informing the Police asked Achyut to collect the money. The Police laid a trap and arrested Achyut while his accomplice Montu Ali managed to flee. The Police also recovered a motorbike on which they had come. Achyut hails from Karbaitola village under Nalbari Police Station.

  The ULFA militants shot dead a surrendered cadre, Hazong Rabha, and his wife Nalani Rabha, at their Nalanga Pahartoli residence under Baguwan Police Station in Goalpara District. Assam Police sources said the SULFA cadre, who surrendered and joined the mainstream in 2005, had been leading a normal life after marrying Nalani in 2006. He was engaged in coal trade since laying down arms. Suspected ULFA militants had also killed Hazong Rabha's uncle and his wife in the night of July 6 at their residence nearly 500 metres away from their hilltop house. Baguwan Police, however, denied that the incident had any link with militant groups.

  Quoting intelligence sources, Sentinel has reported that the ULFA planned to use women cadres for subversive activities during the forthcoming Independence Day celebrations on August 15. According to sources, a group of women cadres has entered Jorhat District from the border areas of Golaghat to carry out subversion. The Police in five upper Assam Districts have already intensified security measures on receiving this information.

• July 20: The CBI arrested an ULFA cadre of the pro-talks faction, Bhaskar Rajbonshi, from the Nalbari designated camp in connection with abduction and killing case of Food Corporation of India Executive Director P.C. Ram.

  SFs seized a detailed sketch of Dibrugarh Airport along with a large quantity of explosives from a ULFA hideout in a dense jungle at Seesabil under Tingkhong Police Station in the Dibrugarh District. Some other sketches, which appeared to be of bridges and oil and gas pipelines, were also found at the hideout. The recoveries include around three kilogram of TNT, one and half kilogram of RDX, five gelatin sticks, a hand grenade, a handmade pistol, 55 rounds of AK-series ammunition, three rounds of .303 rifle ammunition, extortion notes, camouflage uniforms and medicines. "ULFA could be planning something big ahead of its martyrs' day on July 28 and Independence Day on August 15," a senior Police Official said. "We have asked Oil India Limited, Assam Gas Company Limited and Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Limited to be extra cautious after today's haul," he added.

• July 19: Police arrested Indrajeet Bania, a top ranking militant of the 27^th battalion of the ULFA, from his rented house in the Gandhibasti area in Guwahati. Police also recovered an IED from the house. According to Assam Police, he was planning to trigger a high-intensity blast in Guwahati in the next few days. Meanwhile, the Police sounded an alert on July 18 that the ULFA was planning to trigger a blast in Guwahati with the help of a student.

• July 14: The BSF personnel arrested a suspected ULFA linkman, identified as Pradeep Sangma of Sherpur District of Bangladesh, along the India-Bangladesh border in the West Garo Hills District in the State of Meghalaya.

• July 12: The Army troopers and Police arrested a ULFA militant, identified as S. S. Bhola Gogoi, at Shimalguri under Bihpuria Police Station in the Lakhimpur District. One German .38 revolver with two live rounds, one Nokia mobile phone and incriminating documents were recovered from his possession. During interrogation, Bhola Gogoi confessed that he worked as an active cadre of the 28th Battalion of the ULFA and is the son of one Uttam Gogoi, a resident of Saraimoria in the North Lakhimpur District.

• July 10: Two ULFA militants were shot dead in an encounter with SFs at Nasatra village in Barpeta District. The Gaonburah (village headmen) of the village along with his wife and daughter were arrested for sheltering militants in his home. One of the slain militants was identified as Pingal Deka. Meanwhile, Shillong Times reports that the other militant was identified as Tinku Deka.

• July 9: A high ranking ‘second lieutenant’ and ‘commander’ of ‘27th Battalion’ of the ULFA , Manik Saikia (38), a resident of Sootea Sapekhati Gaon under Sootea Police Station in Sonitpur District, surrendered in front of the Superintendent of Police of Sonitpur District. He deposited a 9-mm pistol and some bullets at the time of his surrender. He also confessed that he had joined the ULFA in 1990.

  The Guwahati city Police arrested a ULFA extortionist, Raju Koch, at Ganeshguri area of Guwahati when he came to collect extortion money from a business firm. Police said Koch had served an extortion note on an ULFA letterhead to the firm demanding INR 500000. Koch belongs to Nazira in the Sivasagar District.

• July 8: Shillong Times reports that the ULFA has regrouped its 28th battalion in a base in Myanmar close to the border to step up its activities in the eastern Assam's industrial and tea belt. Security sources said the outfit had appointed Bijoy Chinese as the 'operation commander' of the revamped ‘28th battalion’, which had been virtually rendered defunct after its ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies entered into a truce with the Government in June 2008 and its cadres taken shelter in designated camps. Some of the senior leaders of the outfit have reportedly taken shelter in Mon District of Nagaland to carry out specific strikes in eastern Assam areas before Independence Day.

  Central intelligence agencies have cautioned about a "rejuvenated" ULFA carrying out a massive fund collection drive from the business establishments located along Assam’s boundary with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. According to an intelligence report from upper Assam, several businessmen paying extortion money to the ULFA were doings so in installments. Sources in the agency said the sum in the demand notes served to the traders varied between INR 200000 and INR 2000000. A senior officer of Golaghat Police confirmed that the ULFA had been trying to extort businessmen in the border areas. Such notices have been served in the Merapani and Chungajan areas along the Assam-Nagaland border, he said. "We have not received any official complaint till now though we have information about a few businessmen receiving such extortion notes. A few have allegedly paid to the ULFA coffers also." Most of these businessmen, the officer said, are Hindi-speaking persons. Meanwhile, a statement issued by ULFA’s ‘finance secretary’, ‘lieutenant colonel’ Chitraban Hazarika, on July 8 said "donation notes" purportedly signed by him and distributed among the businessmen, especially in Nagaon district, were fake. "Such notices are fake as I have not signed any donation note since 2002," the statement added.

• July 7: A ULFA militant, identified as Jitu Medhi, was shot dead in an encounter with the Police at Amsoi along the border of Nagaon and Karbi Anglong District.

• July 6: A self styled "sergeant" of the ULFA, identified as Deepshikha Baruah alias Bohagi Baruah (35), a resident of Himpora village under Moranhat Police Station in Sivasagar District, was arrested by the SFs on from Rongapathar village under Sonari Police Station. A revolver and an IED were recovered from Baruah who belongs to the Bravo Company of ULFA’s 28th battalion. The Sivasagar District Superintendent of Police, Shyamal Prasad Saikia, said that Baruah confessed that "the outfit has plans to hit certain specific targets in the run-up to Independence Day to once again prove its existence." A senior Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel S. Banerjee, who was leading the Army troops, was injured in his leg when Baruah fired at him from a revolver. Two senior leaders of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA, Prabal Neog and Jiten Dutta, had cautioned on July 1 that the ULFA planned to strike before Independence Day, saying they had learnt about it from "their own channels". Neog had even said the ULFA might try to kill important functionaries of the pro-peace camps.

  One ULFA linkman, Parth Pratim Saikia, was arrested by Police from Chowkidingee area of Dibrugarh District.

• July 1: The pro-talks faction of the ULFA sounded an alert and beefed up security at its camps in the upper Assam region following reports through its "own channels" that the outfit was attempting to carry out strikes in the area, including on its members. The pro-talks faction also cautioned the State Government about ULFA's plan to carry out the attacks in August 2009. Prabal Neog, a leader of the pro-talks faction, told Telegraph, "Many cadres (of ULFA) have already entered Tinsukia District from the Myanmar camps via Arunachal Pradesh and have started distributing extortion notices. We have information about ULFA trying desperately to carry out strikes. If not on Security Forces, it may be Hindi-speaking settlements and us. We have tightened security in our camps." Jiten Dutta, another pro-talks leader, said most of the ULFA militants who had entered Tinsukia recently were recruited by him just a few months before they declared a cease-fire in June 2008. "They are fully trained now and have been sent by the leadership to carry out strikes," he added.

• June 28: Army personnel arrested one ULFA militant, identified as 28-year old Dipen Bailung alias Malikto Bailung, from Dikhoumukh area in Sivasagar District. During interrogation, he confessed to being involved in regrouping activities and extortion in Sivasagar District under the command of ULFA's 'sergeant' Nomal Gogoi, who has reportedly been operating in the Assam-Nagaland border region.

• June 27: Police arrested a ULFA linkman, identified as Gautom Hajong (38), from Aidoba village under Mankachar Police Station in the Dhubri District.

• June 25: Quoting highly placed security sources, Assam Tribune reported that the ULFA, anti-talks faction of the NDFB and the BW outfits have joined hands as they were under pressure from the on going operation against them by Security Forces. Sources said that at present ULFA cadres led by Hira Sarania are reportedly moving around in the areas bordering Bhutan in the Chirang and Baska Districts and they may try to trigger explosions with the help of the anti-talks faction of the NDFB. Sources also said the Black Widow group has established ties with the anti-talks faction of the NDFB. There have also been reports that a few Black Widow militants have managed to go to Bangladesh along with cadres of the anti-talks faction of the NDFB.

  One ULFA militant was shot dead in an encounter with the SFs near Sukurbaria Bazaar under Rani Police outpost in Kamrup District. The Additional Superintendent of Police of Kamrup District, S. Deka, said the slain militant, who appeared to be in his early twenties, could not be identified. One pistol, a grenade and incriminating documents were recovered from his possession.

• June 24: An ULFA militant, identified as Jibesh Chakraborty alias Kaku, was arrested in a joint operation launched by the Boitamari Police and CRPF from Salbari village under Boitamari Police out post in Bongaigaon District. Police sources said Jibesh entered Bongaigaon after completing 12-day training in Kuklung forest.

  SFs recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Namdang reserve forest under Khowang Police Station in Dibrugarh District. Around 3000 rounds of various types of ammunition, five hand grenades, one AK 56 rifle with three magazines, one revolver and 30 detonators were recovered. All the arms and ammunition were sealed in two large bags. Colonel D K Singh of the Indian Army said that intelligence inputs and interrogation of surrendered and arrested cadres had indicated that the reserve forests in Dibrugarh District were being used by the ULFA and other terrorist groups for transit and for hiding caches of arms and ammunition.

• June 23: One ULFA militant was shot dead in an encounter with a joint team of the Police and CRPF at Sagarkuchi village in Khatikuchi area under Ghograpar Police Station in Nalbari District. According to sources, the SFs arrested two militants while travelling on a numberless bike. In the encounter, one militant was injured while the other managed to escape. The wounded militant later succumbed to his injuries.

  The pro-talks faction of the ULFA celebrated the anniversary of a unilateral cease-fire and initiation of peace process, reports Sentinel. The 'Alpha and Charlie' companies of the '28th battalion' of ULFA had declared a unilateral truce on June 24, 2008. The pro-talks ULFA cadres living in the designated camps at Kakopathar, Tinsukia, Moran and Nalbari have been demanding full autonomy. However, Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta, leaders of these two companies, have expressed apprehension that with little development in the peace process, there was a high possibility of new recruits joining the ULFA.

• June 22: Personnel of the 65th Field Regiment of Red Horns Division arrested one Binoy Borah, a cadre of the 27th Battalion of ULFA, from Adhikarigaon village under Mangaldai Police Station in Darrang District. One 7.65 mm magazine, five live rounds and one mobile phone was recovered from his possession.

  The ULFA called a 12-hour Assam bandh (general shutdown) from 5 am (IST) of June 25 for the alleged killing of cadres of ULFA, NDFB and BW outfit in custody of the SFs. In a press release issued on June 22, the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa alleged that recently two members of the 28th battalion of the ULFA - Debojit Chetia and Durlav Bora - were killed in Nagaon in a "fake encounter". He said that both the ULFA members were arrested on June 10 near Karbi Anglong and were later shot dead. The ULFA chairman also alleged that in June 2009 17 NDFB cadres were killed and most of them were killed while they were in the custody of the SFs. He further alleged that BW cadre Frankie Dimasa was also killed after he was picked up by the troops. Rajkhowa said that instead of trying to find political solution to the problems, the Government has been trying to deal with the situation with force.

• June 21: Two ULFA militants were shot dead during a joint operation by the Army and Police near the Dijuvalley tea estate in Nagaon District. One of the slain militants was identified as Subhankar Bora alias Debojit Saikia, a cadre of the '28^th battalion' of the ULFA, while the other is yet to be identified. One AK 56 rifle, one 9-mm revolver and ammunition and fired cases were recovered from the possession of the slain militants.

• June 19: An unidentified ULFA militant was shot dead in an encounter with Police and CRPF personnel at Kacharitol village under Kalaigaon Police Station in Udalguri District. One Chinese pistol along with several rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

• June 18: An unidentified ULFA militant was shot dead by a joint team of the Army and Police at Dababil under Sidli Police Station in Chirang District.

  The United Pro-talks Organization (UPO), comprising the ULFA, DHD, ACF and the BCF, demanded regional autonomy in the Northeast so that lasting solutions to the problems of the region could be solved.

• June 17: Telegraph quoting eyewitnesses sources reports that three suspected ULFA militants who came on two bicycles shot dead a surrendered SULFA cadre, Khiren Chandra Nath (36), inside a saloon at Salkosa in Dhubri District. Another surrendered ULFA cadre, Bishnu Barman, and a barber, Dulal Sil Sarma, were injured. The people of the area later obstructed the National Highway and gheraoed the Police Station in protest against the killing.

• June 15: The Police and Army personnel shot dead an ULFA militant, identified as Biman Gogoi, and arrested a linkman, Hemchandra Gogoi, from Telikhola Majgaon area of Sadiya in Tinsukia District. Later, the Army recovered two AK-56 rifles, three magazines of AK series, one magazine of M-20 pistol and 128 live ammunitions of AK series from Udaypur area under Chapakhowa Police Station, based on the confession of the arrested linkman.

• June 14: Two suspected militants of the ULFA managed to escape after local residents pelted stones at them when they tried to threaten a businessman at gunpoint on the Chamber Road under Fancy Bazaar Police Station of Guwahati city. Police, however, managed to recover a .38 and a 9-mm pistol which the militants left behind after being chased by the public.

• June 11: Two ULFA militants, identified as Megha Hajong and Arun Rabha, were killed by a joint team of the Meghalaya Police and Army at Bangalpara village in West Garo Hills District. An AK-47 rifle, two Chinese grenades, three AK-rifle magazines with ammunition and some explosives were recovered from their possession. Hajong was the ‘area commander’ of the ULFA for the entire Garo Hills. Police said Hajong was involved in smuggling of arms and ammunition from Bangladesh through the Garo Hills border to Assam.

• June 10: Telegraph reports that the ULFA has started a new strategy of recruiting the youth of tea tribe community in upper Assam. The outfit’s new strategy came to light following the arrest of an ULFA linkman, Devdas Tanti, from Thowra tea estate in Sivasagar District. Tanti, a tea garden labourer, confessed that he had been asked by the ULFA to lure tea garden youths to join the outfit

• June 8: The personnel of 11th Maratha Regiment arrested one Prasenjit Barman (19) of Goladangi and his accomplice Manik Barman (21) for their reported links with the ULFA.

• June 5: A huge cache of arms belonging to the ULFA was recovered by Security Forces from Tinsukia District.

• June 3: Three militants, including a senior ULFA militant identified as Madhurjya Gogoi, were killed in an encounter with the Army at Chayabhata village in Karbi Anglong District around 1.30pm (IST). Gogoi was a self-styled 'lieutenant' of the banned outfit. Of the other two militants, one was Gogoi's bodyguard while another was a KLNLF cadre. An AK-series rifle, two 9mm pistols, a Chinese grenade, ammunition and cash-receipt book were recovered from the encounter site.

  A ULFA militant, Karuna Mili alias Madhab Mili, was arrested from Matmara area under Dhakuakhana Police Station in Lakhimpur District. A 9-mm factory made pistol, one magazine and three rounds of live ammunition were recovered from his possession.

• June 2: A cadre belonging to the '709 battalion' of the ULFA, identified as Nripen Das, was arrested by the Police from Hajo in Kamrup District.

• June 1: Police arrested one Ranjit Dutta alias Jan of Sasoni Tokobill area on the charge of extortion from Tipling under Duliajan Police Station in Dibrugarh District. Police sources said Dutta was arrested when he went to collect the extortion money. A few note pads of the ULFA and some incriminating documents were recovered from his possession.

• May 31: The ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, who has been hiding in Bangladesh for many years now, is reported to be in China for about a month now, intelligence agencies have indicated. Government sources told that Indian intelligence agencies have been able to intercept Baruah's mobile phone and satellite phone conversations from China and are also aware of his precise location in that country. Though there is no clarity on the reason for his visit, sources said Baruah might have travelled to China in the hope of procuring some arms. His China visit comes at a time when the Awami League Government under Sheikh Hasina has initiated a crackdown on the ULFA and other Indian insurgent groups who have taken shelter in that country.

• May 30: Police arrested two ULFA militants, identified as Pramod Kalita and Satish Rajbongshi, and one PLA cadre, Birchandra Singh, from the Baihata Chariali area of Kamrup District. 50 kilograms of RDX, five kilograms of ammonium nitrate and some detonators were recovered from their possession. Police claimed that on the eve of ULFA's protest day, the militants were on an extortion drive in Kamrup, including Guwahati city. They arrived at Baihata Chariali to meet one bomb-expert, the report added.

• May 29: Police arrested three unidentified ULFA militants at Baihata Chariali area of Rangiya in Kamrup District. Five kilograms of RDX (Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) were recovered from their possession.

• May 28: Two army personnel and two suspected ULFA militants were injured in an encounter at Naamtemera Noigaon under Dergaon Police Station in Golaghat District.

  Sentinel has reported that the '28th Battalion' of the ULFA served extortion notices to several businessmen in upper Assam and set a target of collecting INR 10 million from the region. Sources said that taking advantage of the agreement between the Government and the pro-talks faction of the ULFA, a group of militants were serving extortion notes in the name of the ULFA's '709 Battalion' to a number of businessmen in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts. According to sources in the ULFA, a meeting was convened at the headquarters of the '28th Battalion' in Myanmar three days back to discuss the financial crisis and ways to cope with it. The meeting unanimously resolved to collect INR 10 million from upper Assam and instructed its cadres to serve the extortion notes.

• May 25: Two persons, including one surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadre Bipul Saraniya (25), were shot dead by an unidentified militant at Saukuchi under Barama Police Station in Baksa. Police sources said when the SULFA man was taking a meal along with Amar Das (15) at their relative's home, an unidentified militant shot at them with a 9-mm pistol from zero distance.

• May 19: The Guwahati Police arrested two youths, identified as Dhanjit Kalita and K. Sinha, from the Chandmari Police Station area for allegedly planning to serve extortion notes in the name of the banned ULFA.

• May 15: The troops arrested one self-styled 'Sergeant Major' of the ULFA, Achyut Sarma alias Deepak Deka alias Noor, from Hazarikapara village under Sipajhar Police Station in Darrang District.

• May 14: Dispur city Police arrested two private security guards of a residential apartment in Chandmari area of Guwahati city for extorting money for ULFA. Police said the accused were identified as Amitabh Boro (27) from Sipajhar in Darrang District and Dibakar Rajbongshi (32) from Rangia in Kamrup District. The Police said the accused had made extortion calls to some persons in the name of Hira Sarania, the 'commander'' of the '709 battalion' of ULFA.

• May 12: Dibrugarh District Police arrested a suspected ULFA linkman, Pankaj Baruah, from Mirihola village under Moran Police Station on charges of extortion. According to Police sources, Bapu Jewelers had received an extortion demand of INR 500000, reportedly from Dennis Sonowal, a member of the 'Bravo Company' of ULFA. The matter was reported to the Police and a trap was laid and Pankaj Barua who had arrived at the spot to collect the demanded amount was caught.

  Police shot dead an unidentified ULFA militant in an encounter at Solmari under Baihata Chariali Police Station in the Kamrup District. While Police recovered one 9-mm pistol from the possession of the slain militant, two other militants managed to escape. Police sources said a group of three ULFA militants were taking shelter in the area with a view to collect funds for their outfit.

• May 10: Police arrested an advocate, Gobinda Nath, from his residence at Gopal Bazaar in Nalbari town, based on the confession of a ULFA cadre, Manoj Sharma. Sharma, who is a cadre of the '709 battalion' of the ULFA, was arrested earlier. Police sources said Sharma, who hails from Baihata in Kamrup District, had gone to Nalbari to collect cash from the advocate.

• May 8: Police arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Arup Deka (20), from Ganeshpara area of Guwahati in Kamrup District. The Police said Deka, who hails from Musalpur in Baksa District, is a cadre belonging to '709 battalion' of the ULFA, and suspected to be involved in several subversive activities including the blast at Jyotikuchi.

  Two ULFA militants, who were shot dead in an encounter at Beganabari in Sivasagar District, were identified as Jitu Changmai and Linton Ingti. Jitu hails from Sivasagar District while Linton is from Tinsukia District.

• May 7: Two unidentified ULFA militants were shot dead by Police during an encounter at Beganabari in Sivasagar District. Police recovered a universal machine gun, one AK-56 rifle and several rounds of live ammunition from the encounter site.

• May 3: An unidentified ULFA militant was killed while another was wounded in an encounter with a joint team of the Police, Central Reserve Police Force and Army at Biyakorowa village under Merapani Police station in the Golaghat District.

• April 29: A camp of the ULFA was neutralised and a cache of arms and ammunition recovered by the Army at Salna in Nagaon District.

• April 28: Two ULFA militants were shot dead in an encounter with the SF personnel at Sripurdeor Haribangha under Mushalpur Police station in Baksa District.

• April 27: Suspected ULFA militants shot dead a pro-talks cadre, Hitesh Rabha (28), at Khaldang village under Krishnai Police station in Goalpara District. Police sources said a group of four ULFA cadres shot Rabha from close range when he came out of his house after dinner. Rabha was with ULFA's 709th battalion before he came over ground. This is the second major attack by suspected ULFA militants on the pro-talks group within a month. Earlier, on March 25, they had killed Robin Gogoi, who was instrumental in roping in leaders of the A and C companies of ULFA's 28th battalion for talks. Pro-talks leader Maradona Russell alias Naren Rai, who is in charge of the group's Nalbari designated camp, held ULFA "commander-in-chief" Paresh Barua and "chairman" Arabinda Rajkhowa" responsible for the killing. He warned that his group would not remain a silent spectator to the killing of its members.

  SFs arrested two ULFA militants from Dekargaon area under Serfunguri Police station in Kokrajhar District.

• April 24: The ULFA has started extorting money from traders in Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh Police said that two cadres of ULFA's 28 battalion, Ghanakanta Saikia and Deepak Bhuyan, were arrested from Bihpuria in Assam's Lakhimpur District on, for serving an extortion notice for INR one million to a trader at Banderdewa in Arunachal Pradesh last week and intimidating him. They were remanded to Police custody for 14 days by a local magistrate on April 25.

• April 22: A joint team of the Police and the Army arrested Subil Borgohain, a 'sergeant major' belonging to the 'B' Company of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), from Mahmora Ali near Namrup Police station in Dibrugarh District. One AK-56 rifle, 44 rounds of live ammunition and some incriminating documents were recovered from his possession.

• April 21: Police arrested three ULFA linkmen for their alleged involvement in the bomb blast at Jyotikuchi in the Maligaon area of Guwahati city in Kamrup District. Police sources said the trio, identified as Kandarpa Das, Sanjay Thakuria and Gautam Thakuria were arrested from Musalpur in the Baksa District.

• April 18: In a joint operation, Assam Rifles troopers along with the Udalguri and Orang Police arrested four ULFA linkmen from two different areas of Udalguri District. Phuleswar Nath and Dulal Nath were arrested from Goraimari village while Pranab Nath and Satyajeet Nath were arrested from Bagalibari village under Majbat Police Station.

• April 11: Police recovered two IEDs, one concealed inside a football weighing around 10 kilograms and the other inside a steel container weighing around three kilograms, from the house of one Babul Das under Basistha Police Station of Guwahati. Police sources said Babul Das had been arrested once earlier for suspected links with the banned ULFA.

• April 10: The Mankachar Police arrested five more persons in connection with the grenade blast at Mankachar Police Station on April 6. Four of the arrested persons who were suspected to have maintained links with the ULFA were identified as Kamini Koch, Mithun Koch, Kamal Koch and Mokmol Koch. All of them hail from Gopalpur village under Mankachar Police Station in Dhubri District.

• April 9: Two women cadres of ULFA, identified as Debalata Handique and Jonali Deka, were arrested from an unspecified area of Guwahati in the Kamrup District and remanded to three days Police custody for their role the March 25 grenade attack in front of the civil hospital in Tezpur.

  Another ULFA militant, identified as Jadav Bora, was arrested by the Security Force personnel from Amlaki Pait Gaon under Jonai Police Station in the Dhemaji District.

• April 8: SFs shot dead one unidentified ULFA militant at Bhuyakhati near Dalgaon in the Darrang District. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

  Police arrested two persons, identified as Pulin Bora and Lakhiprasad Nath, from Dhekiajuli in the Sonitpur District in connection with the April 6 bomb blast. Police sources said both are surrendered ULFA cadres.

• April 7: Police and Army in a joint operation arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Parimal Barman, and six of its linkmen from Paglaghat under Tamarhat Police Station area of Dhubri District in connection with the April 6 grenade attack on a Police Station at Mankachar in the same District.

• April 6: Ten persons were killed and about 59 others injured in four explosions carried out by suspected ULFA militants. The militants carried out three blasts and mounted a grenade attack within five hours. The Director General of Police, G.M. Srivastava, said seven people were killed and 56 injured in a powerful blast in a crowded market in Guwahati’s Maligaon area at around 2 pm (IST). The explosion sparked a fire that set ablaze two cars and 20 motorcycles and spread to a three-storey building housing the area police station. While six people were killed at the blast site, one died of injuries after jumping from an adjacent building which had caught fire. The bomb is suspected to have been hidden in a car or a motorcycle parked adjacent to the North-East Frontier Railway headquarters. "This is the handiwork of ULFA boys ahead of the outfit’s Raising Day" Srivastava said, adding the militants used hi-tech explosives. A bomb was set off by unidentified militants in the Santipur area near Bokajan in Karbi Anglong District earlier in the day. Suspected ULFA militants also set off a bicycle bomb explosion at Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur District later. Four people were injured, one of them seriously, in this incident. According to an unconfirmed report, he later died of his injuries. In addition, an unidentified militant lobbed a hand grenade at Mankachar Police station in Dhubri district, killing a Police driver and injuring another.

• April 5: Assam Tribune reports that Police released photos of two ULFA militants who had entered Guwahati city to carry out subversive activities ahead of the outfit’s raising day on April 7. The two militants were identified as Manohar Rajbangshi alias Son and Pradip Kalita alias Deep. Manohar hails from Musalpur in Baksa District, while Pradip is from Nagaon District, the Additional Superintendent of Guwahati City Police, Devajit Deuri, said. They belong to the ‘709th and 27th battalion’ of ULFA respectively.

• April 3: Police arrested two ULFA militants, identified as Rakesh Thakuria (22) and Kamal Nayan Talukdar alias Baba (27), from Basistha and Noonmati areas of Guwahati city respectively. They were involved in the March 31 bomb blast at Jyotikuchi area in Guwahati city. The Additional Superintendent of Police (City), Debojit Deori, said the duo was also wanted in connection with several other cases. "They were arrested based on the account of the eyewitnesses of the Jyotikuchi blast," he said.

• March 31: 53 militants, including 44 from the ULFA, surrendered before the Army at Dinjan Army station in the Tinsukia District. Besides the 44 ULFA militants, including four women cadres, there were three NSCN militants and six members of the AANLA. The militants deposited a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including 44 pistols, five guns, one machine gun and huge quantities of assorted ammunition.

  One person died while at least nine others sustained injuries when an IED exploded in the Jyotikuchi area under Gorchuk Police Station of Guwahati city in the Kamrup District. The blast occurred two kilometers away from Lalmati area, where the Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee was supposed to address a public gathering as a part of ruling Congress party’s election campaign. Senior Superintendent of Police P. C. Saloi said, "From the prima facie evidence, it appears to be the handiwork of the banned ULFA".

• March 30: Quoting Assam Police sources, Assam Tribune has reported that a group of Islamist militants had entered upper Assam with the help of local militants to disrupt the parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in April 2009. The Superintendent of Police of Dibrugarh, Abhijeet Bora, said Islamist militants have entered upper Assam through Myanmar and neighbouring Nagaland’s Mon District. ‘Bravo’ company of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) had possibly helped these militants enter the area as the ‘Alpha’ and ‘Charlie’ units of the outfit were on a cease-fire with the Government, he added.

• March 29: SFs arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Sankar Rajbongshi (30), from Anandapur village in the Baksa District.

  The Morigaon Police arrested two woman ULFA militants, identified as Jonali Deka and Devalata Handique, from Jorabat area near Guwahati of Kamrup District.

• March 25: The pro-talks ULFA leader, Robin Gogoi, and Luit Boishya, a cloth merchant, were shot dead by suspected ULFA militants at Kristhi Sangh playground in the Tinsukia District. According to the Police, Boishya, who is from Nalbari, died on the spot while Gogoi succumbed to injuries on the way to a hospital in Tinsukhia.

  One ULFA linkman, identified as Ria Marak, was arrested by the troops from Bishandagiri area under Garobada Police Station in the West Garo Hills District.

• March 18: One Police constable, Nirmal Deka (38), and a ULFA militant were killed in an exchange of fire between the two sides at Kalitapara under the Sipajhar Police Station in the Darrang District. Police recovered one 9-mm pistol, two grenades, four mobile phones, four batteries, 13 rounds of live ammunition and three books from the possession of the slain militant. Telegraph had earlier reported that the Constable was injured in the incident.

• March 17: A Police constable, Nirmal Deka, was injured while an ULFA militant, Ganesh Sarma, was killed in an encounter at Kurua village under Sipajhar Police Station in the Darrang District.

  Unidentified militants shot dead a surrendered ULFA cadre, Nayanjyoti Roy, at the main market area of Kokrajhar District.

• March 15: Police arrested three militants of the '27th Battalion' of the ULFA from Baihata Chariali Police Station area in the Kamrup District. They were identified as Badal Saikia, Ganesh Goswami and Pradeep Kalita.

• March 13: The Police arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Utpal Barman, from Noonmati area of Guwahati in the Kamrup District.

• March 12: Army personnel arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Bisaru Teli (40), at Mahmora Arabari under Mahmora Police Station in the Dibrugarh District. 11 rounds of .303 live ammunition were recovered from the house of the arrested militant.

• March 10: Militant outfits like the ULFA and KLO were reportedly on an extortion drive in different villages of Dhubri District. These outfits were demanding INR 50, 000 to INR 500, 000 from middle class business men and servicemen residing in various villages under Golokganj Police Station in Dhubri District bordering Bangladesh and West Bengal. According to sources, using the KLO letterhead and signing with its self styled 'commander' as S. Barman, a huge number of demand notes was served to many businessmen and servicemen residing in the village of Kanur Bish Khowa, Ratiadaha, Lakhimari and Rakhapat under Golokganj Police Station. In addition, one Raju Borua, mentioning himself as 'deputy chief' of the ULFA and using a cell phone bearing Bangladeshi No.- 008801190856310, demanded money from some businessmen residing at villages in the Dhubri District along the Assam-West Bengal border. The report adds that one Ankur Bora, identifying himself as a ULFA leader, has also demanded money from some businessmen communicating through a cell phone.

• March 9: One ULFA militant, identified as Tarun Thengal, surrendered before the Police in the headquarters of Jorhat District.

• March 8: A joint team of Army and Police shot dead one ULFA militant, identified as ‘sergeant major’ Lolit Bora alias Ajit Gogoi alias Ajala Kokai, near Balijan Grant area in the Sivasagar District. A US-made revolver with three bullets, a grenade, a mobile handset, and a notepad were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

• March 6: A ULFA cadre, identified as Hiramal Sarkar alias Anupam Gogoi, was shot dead by troops during an encounter at Launriguri under Bijni Police Station in the Chirang District.

• March 2: Assam Police arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Navajit Das alias Himanshu Roy, from Garchuk area of Guwahati City. A member of the outfit’s central committee, he has been with the ULFA since 1995.

  Police arrested a woman ULFA cadre, identified as Lamayanti Roy alias Ajanta Rabha of Chipansila area in the Bongaigaon District.

• February 28: 45 militants, including 32 ULFA cadres, six KLNLF cadres, five NDFB cadres and a cadre each of the MULTA and PLF-M, surrendered along with a huge quantity of arms and ammunition before Red Horns Division of Indian Army in a surrender ceremony organized at Rangiya of Kamrup District.

• February 26: In a joint operation, the Assam Police and CRPF personnel shot dead two top militants belonging to the ‘Bravo company’ of the ULFA’s ‘28th Battalion’ at Balijan village under Jengraimukh Police Station in Jorhat District. The duo were identified as ‘operation commander’ Bhaskar Hazarika and ‘sergeant major’ Sarat Bora. Nine bags of incriminating documents relating to the ‘28th Battalion’, an AK-47 rifle, 20 detonators and fuse wires, two pistols and several grenades were recovered from the incident site. In addition, $10,000 and INR 100000 in cash was recovered from a bag.

• February 23: A self styled ‘corporal’ of ‘28th Battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as Manab Handique alias Dambaru Bora, was arrested by Police personnel at Padumoni area of Golaghat District.

• February 22: A jute trader of Bogribari area, identified as Kartick Sen, was abducted by a combined group of suspected ULFA and KLO militants from his residence at Bogribari Bazaar area in the Dhubri District. According to Police sources, five motorcycle-borne militants called Kartik Sen out of his house and took him away after opening fire in the air. Four years back, Sen’s eldest brother Ganesh Sen had been shot dead by the ULFA.

• February 21: Troops arrested two ULFA cadres and four linkmen during a search operation at Ronbalgiri area in the East Garo Hills District. A wireless set, 40 rounds of 9-mm ammunition and medicines were recovered from their possession.

• February 20: The pro-talks faction of the ULFA raised a demand for "full autonomy" to Assam within the framework of Indian Constitution after detaching itself from the ULFA’s "demand for restoration of Assam’s sovereignty". The ‘president’ of the pro-talks faction, Mrinal Hazarika, and two other senior leaders, Prabal Neog and Jiten Dutta, informed that the faction had submitted an 18-point charter of demands to the Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on February 19 for solution of the insurgency problem in Assam through negotiation. He further added that Gogoi had "assured them to send the memorandum to the Prime Minister for consideration by the Central Government. Those political parties who are going to highlight these demands in the coming Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament) polls will receive morale support from us."

• February 19: One suspected ULFA militant, identified as Indrajeet Roy, was arrested by the Army personnel from Koimari village under Golokganj Police Station in Dhubri District.

• February 17: One Surrendered ULFA cadre, identified as Rajesh Das, was shot dead by suspected ULFA militants in Guromari Pathar area of Barpeta District.

• February 8: Telegraph reports that the Unified Command Structures of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have launched a joint operation to neutralize transit camps set up by the militants in Changlang and Tirap Districts to prevent them from reaching Myanmar. The counter-insurgency operations would target militants of the ULFA and NSCN, besides militants operating from West Bengal and Sikkim, who take shelter and receive training in the Districts of Arunachal Pradesh with support from larger outfits. Apart from Changlang and Tirap, camps in Tamulpur, Darrang, Kajalgaon and Udalguri areas of Assam bordering Bhutan would also be targeted. "This (the camps) is where we want to stop them. Our main focus area will, therefore, be Changlang and Tirap, as these are their getaways. The mega crackdown should be over before the parliamentary elections," an unnamed senior official said. "The objective is to stop the militants from moving out of Bangladesh and from reaching Myanmar. The Sheikh Hasina regime has made her stand very clear vis-à-vis militant groups from India operating from Bangladeshi soil. Things will only get tough for the rebels in Bangladesh," he added.

• February 6: One ULFA militant, identified as Trailokya Deka, was shot dead by the SFs during an encounter at Nasatra under Sarthebari Police Station in the Barpeta District.

  Two suspected ULFA linkmen, Shyamanta Senchowa and Hitesh Gogoi, were arrested by a joint team of the Army and Police from Tingkhong in the Dibrugarh District, for extorting money from the traders using letterheads of the ULFA.

• February 5: An unidentified ULFA militant was shot dead by the SFs at Polokhata under Barama Police Station in the Baksa District. A pistol and a hand grenade were recovered from his possession.

  An encounter took place between the Police and a group of ULFA militants at Solmara village in the Nalbari District. The militants opened fire on the Police who retaliated their firing. Two militants were arrested from the encounter site and one pistol was recovered from their possession.

  The Basistha Police arrested a ULFA cadre, identified as Jintu Borah, from the Bhangagarh area of Guwahati city.

• February 3: A five-member delegation of the pro-talks ULFA militants belonging to the ‘28th Battalion’ led by Mrinal Hazarika arrived in New Delhi to hold discussions with the Union Government. According to sources, the delegation is expected to meet a cross-section of political leaders and opinion makers to elucidate their views on a negotiated settlement of the militancy problem.

• January 29: Two Police personnel and one ULFA militant were killed in an encounter in the Sivasagar District. According to Police sources, the encounter took place at Bengenabari area under Sonari Police station when a joint patrol party of the Police and Army was attacked by the ULFA militants. Assistant Sub-Inspector Bhim Prasad Upadhaya and Constable Debojit Borgohain were killed on the spot, while the slain ULFA militant is yet to be identified.

• January 28: The SFs in Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts have called for commando back-up as they got ready for an operation against a group of 40 ULFA militants, holed up in one of the chaporis (sandbars) of Majuli Island. The group is led by Rajib Das, the Majuli unit commander of the outfit.

• January 27: The pro-talks group of the ULFA, under the leadership of Jiten Dutta, accused the Indian Army of trying to derail the peace process by luring its cadres away from the designated camps to surrender. "We have definite information that some cadres, including those who had fled with weapons from our designated camps, are with the army and are likely to surrender in the days to come," said Jiten Dutta. However, rejecting the allegations, the General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) of the Dinjan-based Second Mountain Division, Major General Jatinder Singh, said: "These are all loose talk and the army never gets entangled in such issues."

• January 25: A suspected ULFA cadre was arrested by the Police from Chabua in Dibrugarh.

  SF shot dead an unidentified militant of ‘709 battalion’ of ULFA at Dimakuchi in the Udalguri District. One 9mm pistol and an IED were recovered from his possession.

  Eight NDFB militants and two ULFA cadres surrendered before the Superintendent of Police of Golaghat District. The ULFA militants were identified as 'sergeant major' Pritam Doley alias Mickel Singh and cadre Polash Jyoti Baruah. The eight NDFB militants were identified as Ajoy Khaklari, Sanjoy Boro, Pabitra Basumatary, Nayan Basumatary, Parimal Khaklari, Arabinda Daimary, Sanjeev Khaklari and Binanda Khaklari. They laid down one .22riffle, one 9-mm pistol and one .32 pistol along with six cartridges with magazines.

  Three cadres of the 'Alpha' and 'Charlie' companies of ULFA's '28 battalion' who had managed to escape from their designated camps in the night of January 23, said oppression and ill-treatment by their leaders, specifically Jiten Dutta, forced them to desert the pro-talks group. The cadres said they had been expelled because they had opposed Dutta's "autocratic" ways.

• January 23: One ULFA cadre, identified as Arup Nayak alias Nelo, was arrested by the SF personnel from Borpatra area under Borhat Police Station in the Sivsagar District.

  SFs arrested an ULFA cadre, Hareswar Das, from Diajiri in the Kokrajhar District. Two hand grenades were recovered from his possession. Based on his confession, Police arrested two more persons, Mohammad Sabjal Ali and Mohammad Kazia Akhan, from Kauniabhasa in the same district. A handmade pistol and six rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.

  Three ULFA cadres, Himalay Bora alias Arun Baruah, Bolin Moran alias Rinku and Tapan Gogoi alias Kanak alias Kalpa, managed to escape from their designated camps.While Arun escaped from the Moran-based camp, Rinku and Kalpa managed to escape from the Kakopathar camp.

• January 21: The SFs arrested one 'corporal' of the ULFA, identified as Dipen Buragohain alias Bubu Gogoi, from Raghuguri village in the Sivasagar District.

One ULFA cadre, identified as Uday Bharali, escaped from the Sadiya designated camp of Tinsukia District with an AK-56 rifle. The SFs, in the past month, have reportedly voiced concern on the disappearance of some cadres of ULFA's 'Alpha and Charlie' companies from the designated camps.

• January 19: Police in Dibrugarh District recovered three Universal Machine Guns, one AK 47 rifle, 10 magazines, and 200 rounds of live ammunition buried underground amid bamboo groves in the Mahmora village under Namrup Police station. The District Superintendent of Police said, "Police intelligence has information about more weapons being concealed at unknown places and so search operations will continue." He refused to elaborate whether the recovered items belonged to the ULFA.

A ULFA linkman, Girish Saikia, was arrested from Sonari in Sivasagar District. He was reportedly working for the outfit's 28^th battalion.

• January 18: Four ULFA cadres were killed in two separate operations by the Police and the Army at Khoya village in the Kamrup (Rural) District. In the first incident, two militants belonging to the group's 709 battalion were moving to Guwahati from Nalbari when the encounter took place. Two pistols, two Austrian grenades, three detonators, two IEDs and 500 grams of ammonium nitrate were seized from the slain militants.

Two militants, also belonging to the 709 battalion, were killed by Army personnel at Samukha village under Kamalpur Police station in the Baska District. The SFs seized two 9 mm US-made pistol, two electronic detonators and several extortion notes from the slain militants.

An ULFA militant was arrested by SFs from his residence at Panitema village in the Baska district.

• January 17: A huge quantity of arms and ammunition, including 27 AK series and Chinese rifles, belonging to the ULFA was recovered by the Police in the Tinsukia district. On a tip-off, Police from Dibrugarh District along with their counterpart from neighbouring Tinsukia District launched a joint operation at the Boholram village in the Kukurmara Sadiya area of Tinsukia District, Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Anurag Agarwala told journalists in Dibrugarh.

• January 14: Police arrested a militant of the ULFA, Jayanta Kalita, from Lalmati in the Basistha area of Guwahati city. He had joined the outfit around four years ago. The Police also detained Bhabani Deka, owner of Kalita's rented house at Lalmati.

• January 13: A ULFA militant, identified as Tapan Das, was killed during an encounter with Security Forces at Geetanagar locality of Guwahati city. The slain militant was involved in the abduction and subsequent killing of FCI executive P.C. Ram in July 2007. Police said Das, belonging to the outfit's 709th battalion, was trained in sophisticated arms and bomb-making techniques and was involved in several bomb and grenade explosions in the city in the past few years.

46 militants, including 42 cadres of the NDFB and four belonging to the ULFA, surrendered at Bathoupuri in the Baksa District. Of the 42 NDFB militants who laid down arms before police at Mushalpur in Baksa, 20 are from the outfit's Borbori designated camp, including a number of "corporals" and "lance corporals", mostly from NDFB's 4th battalion. The group laid down two AK-56 series rifles with two magazines and 300 rounds of ammunition, two 9mm pistols with two magazines and 17 rounds of ammunition, two Chinese pistols, two revolvers, 10 Chinese grenades, 50 kilograms of TNT and one pen pistol with six rounds of ammunition. The surrendered ULFA militants included a woman cadre from the outfit's Enigma group, identified as Namita Kalita.

• January 12: The Assam Government stated in the Legislative Assembly that eight militant groups, including the ULFA, KLNLF, Black Widow, AANLA, KRA, HuM, MULTA and HPC-D, are active in the State. Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said that both the ULFA and NDFB are carrying out subversive activities in Assam under the influence of foreign powers and top leaders of the outfit are staying abroad. He further said that in 2008, 124 militants belonging to various outfits were killed and over 1300 were arrested. The Security Forces also recovered 203 bombs and 202 grenades from the militants.

• January 11: In a four-page statement signed by 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua that was faxed to a section of the media, the ULFA claimed that an "infamous" "gang of six" police officers was responsible for the January 9 blast in the Maligaon locality of Guwahati city to malign the outfit's image.

• January 10: Two ULFA cadres were shot dead by Security Force (SF) personnel in two separate encounters at Maligaon in Guwahati and Baksa.

Police arrested three ULFA cadres from the Chandmari and Noonmati areas of Guwahati.

• January 5: Sonitpur Police arrested nine distributors and retailers of the Reliance Telecom Limited (RTL), who without proper verification provided SIM cards, which were used by the militants for the Guwahati serial blast on January 1. Police sources in Tezpur said that the investigation into the entire episode started after the Police got evidence of the militants, mostly ULFA cadres, using SIM cards issued in favour of fictitious names to coordinate subversive activities. Police also came to know that during the recent blasts in Guwahati the ULFA used two SIM cards issued by a retailer in Dhekiajuli.

Bharalumukh Police arrested six persons at Bhutnath from Rangiya in connection with the January 1 serial bomb blast. They were identified as Imran Choudhury, Sanjib Talukdar, Hemanta Phukan, Ganesh Kumar, Ravinder Singh and Tarun Kalita. Additional Superintendent of Police (city) Jayashri Khersa revealed that they had confessed their involvement in the bomb blast. While some of the arrested persons were ULFA cadres, the rest were linkmen of the outfit.

A woman cadre of the '28th battalion' of the ULFA, identified as 'sergeant major' Mridula Kachari alias Trishna, who was trained in Myanmar, was arrested by Police and 44 Field Regiment of Army at Sonari in the Sivsagar District after a brief encounter. Another ULFA cadre, Jun Sing, managed to escape from the encounter site.

The Home Department said the State Government had pointed out to the Union Government that several outfits, including ULFA, AANLA and Black BW, were taking refuge in the camps of NSCN-IM and NSCN-K in the neighbouring State of Nagaland. While some senior ULFA cadres were carrying out their activities from NSCN-K camps, militants belonging to the other two outfits were being hosted by the NSCN-IM in its camps. "However, given that the government is in a ceasefire with the two Naga outfits, it is Delhi's responsibility to ensure that their camps are not misused," a source said.

• January 4: The Assam Police arrested a ULFA cadre, Sanjeev Talukdar, from Rangiya. He is suspected to have supplied the explosives which were used in the January 1 serial bomb blasts in Guwahati. Following Sanjeeb’s confession, several other militants were also arrested. He used to reportedly act as a carrier for the ULFA’s ‘709 battalion’ and handed over the explosives to the main suspect of the blasts, Pranjal Deka, near Adabari bus station, days before the explosions took place in Guwahati. Police claimed that the deal between Pranjal and Sanjeeb was being co-ordinated by Khagen Kalita, self-styled ‘Sergeant Major’ of the outfit’s ‘709 battalion’ over phone.

• January 2: The Guwahati Police released the photograph of Pranjal Deka alias Biju Saraniya alias Bhambhal, a cadre of the ULFA’s 709th battalion, who according to security agencies, masterminded all the three blasts in Guwahati on January 1. Additional Superintendent of Police (City), Joyshree Khersa, said that Deka, who hails from Dwarkuchi village in Baksa District, is still holed up in the city along with at least five other ULFA militants. "Combing operation is on and we have intensified vigil across the State," Khersa said, adding that Deka is wanted in connection with several other recent blasts.

  The pro-talks group of the ULFA has reportedly given up the demand for sovereignty. In a press meet held at the designated camp at Kakopathar, the pro-talks group leader Mrinal Hazarika said they would now sit for talks with the Government within the framework of Indian Constitution.

• January 1: ULFA militants triggered serial bomb blasts in three different areas of Guwahati city, killing five persons, including a minor, and injuring 50 others. The first explosion took place around 2:25 PM (IST) in Birubari followed by high-intensity explosions in the Bhootnath area (5:25PM) and Bhangagarh area (5:40PM). The blasts were triggered hours before the scheduled arrival of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. "From prima facie evidences collected from the spot, it appears to be the handiwork of suspected ULFA militants," said Additional Superintendent of Police of Guwahati City, Debojit Deori. "The Birubari bomb, which was planted in a GMC dustbin near the Assam Association of Deaf office, was a low-intensity one. However, the subsequent blasts were aimed to cause maximum damage as they were planted in crowded areas," added Deori. Another unnamed Police official claimed that the bomb in the Bhootnath area was planted in a bicycle. Director General of Police, G.M. Srivastav, told The Hindu: "We had information that some cadres of the ULFA’s 709 battalion have entered the city to trigger blasts and we were hot on their trail. Under pressure in the form of stepped-up security, they dumped one bomb at a garbage bin in Birubari locality." He also said the ULFA wanted to demonstrate its presence ahead of Chidambaram’s visit.

2008

• December 29: A senior ULFA militant, identified as Hasmut Ali alias Jahangir Ali, surrendered before the East Garo Hills District Police at Bajengdoba in the State of Meghalaya. He laid down an AK-81 assault rifle, a hand grenade, three magazines and 71 rounds of AK ammunition. The militant was trained at several ULFA camps in Bangladesh bordering Garo Hills, and was made a ‘lance corporal of the 109 battalion’ of the outfit. He belonged to the 2006 batch of ULFA militants. The report adds that the ULFA has time and again been using the Garo Hills area for safe passage to and fro Bangladesh.

• December 28: The pro-talks faction of the ULFA which comprises cadres and leaders of the ‘Alfa’ and ‘Charlie’ companies of the outfit’s ‘28th battalion’ has set December 31 as the deadline for the top leaders of the outfit to take a decision to hold a dialogue with the Government of India.

• December 27: 19 ULFA cadres surrendered and joined the pro-talks group at Kakopathar camp in the Tinsukia District. Eight of the cadres were from the outfit’s ‘28th battalion’ headquarters based in Myanmar. They laid down weapons, including rocket-propelled gun, a light machine gun and a universal machine gun. "Most of the cadres lodged at the camps in Myanmar are uncertain about their future. That is why we chose to get out of the camps and join the pro-talks group," Dipankar Dutta, one of the cadres, said. "We have been planning the escape since we came know about the peace process," another cadre, Parashmoni Rajkhowa, said.

• December 23: Two ULFA cadres were shot dead and a woman cadre wounded in an encounter with a joint team of East Garo Hills District Police and Kumaon Regiment personnel at Gambil Apel. The slain ULFA cadres were identified as A.K. Barman Rabha and Bikash Majumdar, both hailing from Assam. The wounded woman cadre, identified as Teji Mala Rabha, was arrested after the encounter. However, eight other ULFA cadres managed to escape from the encounter site. An AK-66 rifle, five magazines, 173 rounds of ammunition, a hand grenade, a mobile phone, five demand notes and other objectionable documents were recovered from the incident site. Police later arrested two ULFA sympathisers, Lebison A. Sangma and Laban C.H. Momin, from Gambil Apel.

• December 22: SFs reported that some cadres of the ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the ULFA’s ‘28th battalion’ had gone "missing" from their designated camps in upper Assam. SF sources said they were perturbed over the development accompanied by reports that these cadres may have actually returned to the outfit after remaining silent for the past six months. The ‘28th battalion’ had earlier declared a unilateral cease-fire in June 2008. According to official records, there are 133 cadres belonging to the ‘A’ and the ‘C’ company of the ‘28th battalion’ of the ULFA lodged in the four Government-run designated camps at Sadiya, Kakopathar, Moran and Nalbari. But the source said the recent head counts revealed that a few cadres were missing from the camps. A leader of the pro-peace group, Jiten Dutta, while accepting that some amount of frustration is bound to creep in among a section of the cadres, denied that some of them have fled and re-joined the outfit. A central intelligence official based in upper Assam said, "Some other cadres, too, are planning to return to the outfit frustrated over the slow progress of the peace process." Inputs from local sources indicated that the outfit has begun a fresh recruitment in all the three upper Assam Districts of Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat. There are also some attempts to recruit fresh members from Tinsukia and Dibrugarh Districts and from Dhemaji and Lakhimpur Districts. Simultaneously, the outfit has also started extortion once again, the official added.

• December 21: The ‘general secretary’ of the ULFA, Golap Barua alias Anup Chetia, has moved the United Nations for refugee status and political asylum in a safe country once he is out of Bangladesh jail where he is now under trial. The ULFA mouthpiece ‘Swadhinata (Freedom)’ in its latest issue which has been made available through the Internet, informed that Anup Chetia, now lodged in a Bangladesh jail, has moved the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee through its Bangladesh office for political asylum and refugee status in a safe country as he fears ‘danger to his life’ once out from the jail.

• December 19: One ULFA cadre, Mahesh Bora alias Biman Bora, was arrested at his village Nahorani under Jengraimukh Police Station in the Jorhat District.

• December 18: The Army personnel arrested one ULFA link man, identified as Memera Mech at Jakripoduli village under Haloating Police Station in the Sivasagar District. Two hand made grenades were recovered from the possession of the captured linkman.

• December 16: 38 militants belonging to different militant outfits of the North East, including the ULFA, NSCN-K, KLNLF, surrendered before Major General Jatinder Singh, General Officer in-Command of 2 Mountain Division, at its headquarter in Dinjan of Tinsukia District. Out of these, 16 were from ‘B’ company of ‘28th Battalion’ of ULFA, seven from ‘C’ company of ‘28th Battalion’ of ULFA, four from its headquarter, seven from NSCN-K and remaining four from KLNLF. Among the surrendered, there were two female cadres of ULFA. The surrendered militants handed over 35 weapons, including pistols, revolvers, rifles, and a cache of ammunition.

  Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram warned Bangladesh not to allow terrorist outfits from India to carry out anti-India operations from its territory. While speaking in Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament), he said, "The HuJI of Bangladesh had perpetrated the October 30 Asom serial blasts in which ULFA and NDFB were also involved," adding, most of the insurgent groups operating from the Northeast, including the ULFA, are based in Bangladesh. The Government had intelligence inputs that the ULFA and other insurgent groups in the Northeast have been working with the Bangladeshi terrorist outfit HuJI, the Home Minister added.

  The Union Government clarified that it had no dialogue with the self-styled ‘28th Battalion’ of the ULFA so far, reports Assam Tribune. According to the Government of Assam, two companies of ‘28th Battalion’ announced a unilateral cease-fire on June 24. Cadres of these two companies are staying in the designated camps set up by the State Government, said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Radhika V. Selvi, in reply to a question by Narayan Chandra Borkataky in Parliament.

• December 15: Two ULFA militants, identified as Shibo Chetia and Rupantar Gogoi, were arrested by the Army personnel from Cheleng village and Balipara Gaon respectively under Naharkatia Police station in the Dibrugarh District. One pistol and six rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.

• December 11: SFs arrested a ULFA militant, Babul Deka alias Pulok Deka, from the Udalguri District.

• December 10: Two women cadres of the ULFA, identified as Bandita alias Karabi Phukan of Mahmora Bhalukoni under Kakotibari Police station and Satyama Bailung alias Niharika a.k.a. Mamu of Timou Dabakhatia under Kakotibari Police Station, were arrested by Mathurapur Police of Charaideo subdivision in the Sivasagar District.

• December 9: Assam Government announced a monetary package to rehabilitate and sustain the pro-peace ULFA cease-fire group. The package will be funded from both the central and the state Government fund in the initial phase so that time is not wasted in getting clearance. The group had asked for INR 3,000 for an unmarried cadre and INR 5,000 for a married cadre. The Centre now gives a consolidated stipend of INR 2,000 per month to a cadre in cease-fire period. Pro-peace leaders Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta welcomed this decision and termed it as positive.

• December 8: The Army launched an operation in Sivasagar to neutralise the ‘B Company’ of ULFA’s ‘28 battalion’ and liberate Upper Assam from the clutches of the outfit. Army source said the operations were launched mid last week after authorities sent orders that no leniency be shown to ‘B company’ till its militants agree to a truce like the ‘Alpha and Charlie companies’, which declared a cease-fire in June 2008.

• December 6: Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the SFs at Kurkarigaon under Kakotibari police station in the Sivasagar district. One of those killed was identified as Biraj Changmai. An AK-47 rifle and one 9mm pistol were recovered from the encounter site.

  An ULFA cadre, identified as Haresh Patmont alias Jyoti Patmont, was killed in an encounter with SFs at Gujarating in the Charaideo subdivision of Sivasagar district. SFs also arrested another ULFA cadre, Kiron Jyoti Gogoi, and recovered two 9mm pistol, one grenade, three magazines, one mobile phone, 15 live ammunition and INR 45,000 from the encounter site.

• December 5: An ULFA bomb expert and ‘lieutenant’ of its ‘709 battalion’, identified as Tapan Rai, was shot dead in an encounter with a joint team of the army and police at Belguri in Kokrajhar district. One AK-47 rifle with two magazines of 16 rounds of live ammunition was recovered from his possession.

• December 4: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the probe into the October 30 serial blasts in Assam has established the involvement of the ULFA and NDFB. During a press conference, he said, "We have evidence up to the level of ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah and NDFB ‘supremo’ Ranjan Daimary. But to get to the real brains behind the blasts, we need Central assistance, as we cannot go to the neighbouring countries where the ULFA and NDFB are having bases." Gogoi further said that the State’s militant outfits operating from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar had become "pawns in the hands of the HuJI, ISI and other forces" inimical to the State’s and country’s interests.

• November 29: A joint team of 66 Field Regiment of Army and police arrested a ULFA militant, identified as Debanta Saikia, from Sapekhati in the Sivasagar district.

• November 28: The ULFA was on an extortion drive in the upper Assam districts. A number of demand notes in ULFA’s pad were sent to a section of the doctors and businessmen of Sivasagar town. The demand notes bear the signature of Montu Saikia alias Bijoy Das, who is the ‘in-charge of finance’ of the ULFA in the district. Meanwhile, the police said that the demand notes are fake and do not resemble the usual ULFA demand notes. Police sources have, however, confirmed reports of ULFA’s extortion drive in the district and said that a four-member ULFA group under Montu Saikia has entered the district with intent to carry out extortion.

• November 27: An attempt made by the ULFA militants to abduct an Afghan money lender from Aidoba area of Dhubri district was foiled when he managed to escape.

• November 26: A joint team of police and the Army arrested one ULFA militant, Debendra Saikia from Moranhabi village under Sapekhati police station in the Sivasagar district. Another ULFA militant, ‘self-styled sergeant major’ Amar Kakoti alias Kushal Konwar, was arrested by security personnel from Majulipur under Jonai police station in the Lakhimpur district on the same day. One 9-mm pistol and ammunition were recovered from his possession.

• November 25: Troops of 37 Assam Rifles arrested a United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadre during a search operation along Lungwa-Phomching road in the Mon district on November 25, according to Nagaland Post. He was identified as Dhanti Dutta of Sonari in Assam. A 303 rifle along with magazine and 10 live rounds and other incriminating documents were recovered from his possession.

  Telegraph quoting Meghalaya Police source reports that that the ULFA and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants are using the Liberation of Achik Elite Force (LAEF) cadres to make crude bombs. Police recovered five crude bombs along with other arms and ammunition and incriminating documents from the nine LAEF militants arrested in the Ri-Bhoi district bordering Assam on November 18. They suspect that the LAEF militants were making a base in a forest area near Pilangkatta in the Ri-Bhoi district and were seeking logistic support from the ULFA and NDFB cadres.

• November 24: Two ULFA militants, identified as Hira Gogoi alias Debojit Dutta and Dipu Saikia alias Dipu, surrendered at the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat district. They also laid down a revolver, an AK-47 and 30 rounds of ammunition.

• November 23: The Sivasagar police and army personnel recovered a cache of explosives, including 10 kilograms of RDX, from the residence of a person, Shivlal Sarmah, at Hunaipur Soraihojiya under Geleki police station, after an encounter with the ULFA militants. However, the militants who took shelter at Shivlal’s residence managed to escape from the incident site.

  Telegraph reports that the ULFA and NSCN-K are holding joint training sessions in the Lohit, Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh fearing possible army crackdowns in Assam and Nagaland. A group of 30 newly recruited ULFA cadres are undergoing a two months’ advanced training in villages bordering Changlang and Myanmar under the supervision of ‘sergeant commander’ Anjan Borthakur of the ‘B company of 28 battalion’ of the ULFA, the outfit’s ‘publicity secretary’ Michael Deka and the commander of NSCN–K Siv Konyak. "After two months of training, the cadres will head for Myanmar to join other group members. It is an alarming trend. This is the first time that Ulfa and NSCN (K) are jointly conducting such advanced training courses in the state," a police source said. The villages in Mahadevpur circle of Lohit district, Ponchau circle of Tirap district and Bordumsa circle of Changlang district are the outfits’ new havens. Both groups have held recruitment drives in Lohit and received ‘satisfactory response’, sources said. The report added that altogether 40 new cadres were recruited in Mahikong, Malemna, Maling, Manchal areas under Mahadevpur circle in the district. The NSCN-K also recruited about 20 cadres from Khanu, Khasa, Bonya, Konnu and Konsa areas of Tirap district in the past three months. The ULFA has also begun a fresh recruitment drives in Borkhet Chaimu, Chamro and Changlai villages of Changlang district. The report also said that the stretch from Chessa to Chengmara along the Arunachal-Assam border is used by militants from Assam as an escape route.

• November 21: Assam Police arrested a person, Nikhil Rai, from his residence at Bangiamari village in the Dhubri district for his suspected links with the ULFA.

• November 20: An unidentified ULFA militant was shot dead by security force personnel during an encounter on the embankment of Bornadi at Hindu-Moijali village under Baihata Chariali police station in the Kamrup district.

• November 19: A self-styled ‘sergeant major of the 28 battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as Ram Singh alias Mintu Borgohain, was arrested by the Sivasagar district police and 318 Field Regiment of the Army during a joint search operation at Jabalating under Bokota Nemoguri police station.

  The Army and police during a joint search operation arrested a militant Golap Ali of Alibari under Palasbari police station in the Kamrup district. Gelatine sticks, detonators and a copy of an extortion note of the ULFA were recovered from his possession.

• November 16: The investigation into the Assam serial blasts of October 30 has revealed a close nexus between the ULFA and NDFB with Bhutan-based Maoist rebel groups, reports Assam Tribune. Police sources said that the ULFA and NDFB are against the Bhutan Government because of the Operation All Clear launched against the outfits in 2003, while the Maoist groups are strongly opposed to the move of the Government of the neighbouring country to evict a sizeable number of Nepali populations from southern Bhutan. In recent years, the ULFA and NDFB extended help to the Maoist groups active in Bhutan by providing them with explosives. These facts came to light following the arrest of a Bhutanese national, Tenzing Zengpo, during investigations into the serial blasts. Zengpo was arrested along with one of the suspects in the case in Guwahati city. During interrogation, the Bhutanese national admitted the long association they had with the ULFA and NDFB. Sources revealed that Zengpo was earlier the general secretary of the Druk National Congress of Bhutan and is currently associated with Maoist groups active in Bhutan.

• November 15: The troops arrested one ULFA militant, Pradip Kumar Roy, from Koimari village in the Kokrajhar district.

• November 14: The investigations into the October 30 blasts in Assam revealed that the ULFA has once again found its way into Bhutan. Police sources said that they had information about an ULFA camp on Bhutanese territory near Barpathar village in Assam’s Chirang district. Two top rank cadres of ULFA’s ‘709 battalion’, identified as self-styled ‘second lieutenant’ Baba Rabha and ‘sergeant major’ Kushal Das, are the in-charge of the camp that has around 150 cadres. Police suspect that the commandant of the ‘4th battalion’ of the NDFB, Ritikhang, is hiding in that camp.

• November 13: An IED weighing 10 kilograms was recovered at Jaboka under Sonari police station in the Sivasagar district on Sonari-Namtola road during a joint operation by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Army and Police personnel. The bomb was planted in a pressure cooker under a culvert. Security personnel also recovered a 30-metre wire and four batteries from the spot. It is suspected that the ‘28th battalion’ of ULFA had planted the bomb.

• November 11: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in a press conference at Guwahati said that the investigations revealed clear indications of the involvement of the cadres of the ULFA and NDFB in the October 30 serial bomb blasts. He also said that forces based outside the country might have extended support to the militant groups to carry out the operation. However, he said that it is not clear which force from outside provided help to the ULFA and NDFB militants as a number of anti-India groups have their bases in Bangladesh. He also expressed the view that no force from outside would be able to carry out any major attack in the State without the help of the "local militant groups."

  November 10: The Darrang district police arrested an ULFA militant, Neela Deka alias Chamappa, for his involvement in the killing of a surrendered ULFA cadre.

• November 9: A ULFA linkman, Tutul Borgohain, was arrested by a joint force of Army and Sivasagar District Police from Loraphuta village. A mobile handset with a SIM card containing phone numbers of ULFA cadres was recovered from his possession.

  After remaining silent for about three months, the ULFA has launched a fund-raising drive in Sivasagar district, reports Sentinel. According to reports, the ULFA has sent at least 15 extortion letters to businessmen and ONGC employees of the town. Police sources confirmed the reports and said a four-member ULFA group under the leadership of Montu Saikia has entered the district. The group also had a woman ULFA cadre, sources added. After the ceasefire by ‘A’ and ‘B’ companies of 28 battalion of the ULFA, all the companies under the battalion were merged and Sujit Mohan was appointed as the "commander" of the 28 battalion. Montu Saikia has been given the charge of finance in the district, and all the extortion letters bear the signature of Sujit Mohan.

  The investigating agencies had found clues that ULFA and NDFB carried out the Assam serial blast of October 30 with the help of Bangladesh-based HuJI. "We have found that the Bangladesh-based HuJI has provided the expertise to ULFA and NDFB as none of them has the technology to explode such devastating bombs which claimed 84 lives," a Home Ministry official said. Home Ministry sources also added that the government is worried over the fact that the northeast militants has started using a deadly mixture of RDX, ammonium nitrate and plasticised explosives to carry out explosions which led to greater casualties which was never seen in the past. Though the operation was masterminded by HuJI at the behest of the ISI, the NDFB and ULFA had provided logistical support.

• November 7: One unidentified ULFA militant was killed in an encounter with Army at Lakhipur under Borbori police station in the Baksa district. One 9mm pistol with 3 rounds live ammunition, some incriminating documents, about 2 Kilograms of explosive substances and the motor cycle used by them recovered from the slain militants.

  The Assam Police arrested three militants of ULFA along with nine kilograms of TNT at Kolia Bhomora Bridge over the Brahmaputra in the Tezpur district.

• November 6: Army arrested a ULFA linkman, Bhogeswar Panging of Chenimiora village under Sivasagar police station following the confessions made by Parikshit Gogoi, an ULFA militant who was arrested on November 3 from Panbessa village.

  The Tripura Government has submitted a comprehensive report to the Union Home Ministry on terrorists backing militant outfits in the region, especially Asom-based ULFA and Tripura-based ATTF, State Home Department sources said. According to reports, the issue was also discussed at a high-level security review meeting, chaired by National security Advisor M K Narayanan, with police chiefs of the region. It was also revealed at the meeting that the blasts in Asom were reportedly carried out by Bangladesh-based HuJI in coordination with local outfit ULFA and serial bomb blasts in Agartala were attributed to ATTF-ULFA combine. The report also states that Pakistan-based ISI, Al-Qaeda and Bangladesh-based HuJI. The militants were using Sonamura, Agartala and Kailashahar in Tripura and Karimganj and towns of upper Asom for entering India.

• November 5: The officials investigating the October 30 serial bomb blasts in Assam said that the ULFA was behind the attack.

• November 4: A joint team of the Army and Police arrested Parikshit Gogoi of ‘B Company’ of the ULFA’s ‘28 battalion’ in the Sivasagar district along with more than 1kg RDX, a pistol and a grenade.

  The 318 Field Regiment of the Army arrested one ULFA militant, Mrinal Kanti Cheleng from Khamung gaon under Kakotibari police station in the same district.

• November 3: A surrendered ULFA cadre, Sanjib Baruah, was shot dead by the militants of the same outfit in the Darrang district.

  A joint team of Army and Assam Police arrested a militant of the ‘709 battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as Mohan Das. The arrested militant had taken shelter at the residence of an ULFA linkman, Mantu Kalita, at Niznamati village under Barama police station in the Nalbari district, reports Telegraph. Police also arrested three other ULFA linkmen, Bhaskar Kalita, Sourav Kalita and Vikash Kalita, in this connection.

  The Army arrested one ULFA linkman, Lachit Rajkonwar, from his residence at Bengenabari in Charaideo subdivision of Sivsagar district.

• October 31: Security personnel while probing a possible HuJI-ULFA link to the October 30-serial blasts arrested over 20 suspects including two vehicle owners. According to police sources, Asib Mohammed Nizami and Zulfikar Ali, who are the owners of two vehicles in which the bombs were concealed in Ganeshguri area of the city and Bongaigaon, were arrested from Jhuria Dagaon in the Nagaon district. "While suspecting the hand of the Bangladesh-based HuJI outfit, police claimed to have got clues that the blasts were carried out by people having local links", a top Assam police official said.

  Pro-peace ULFA leader Prabal Neog denied the outfit’s alleged role in the October 30-serial blast in Assam. Neog said that, "This is an act of total inhumanity and the state government will have to take the entire responsibility for this disaster. ULFA had never targeted innocents during its operations. Our target was always the security forces, government establishments, Oil and railway installations". There must be some external forces behind this blast, he further added. Moreover, ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua, also denied ULFA’s role in the blast.

• October 30: A total of 77 persons were killed and about 300 injured in 13 near-simultaneous blasts in Assam capital Dispur and adjoining city Guwahati and three other districts- Kokrajhar, Barpeta, and Bongaigaon. Police said that the involvement of jihadi groups like the Bangladesh-based HuJI-B militants cannot be ruled out. The police are also examining whether the ULFA was involved in the blasts.

  The ULFA in an e-mail statement denied its hand in the blasts and alleged that a section of the government officials deliberately blamed the outfit to derail the possible peace process.

• October 27: The Mangaldai police arrested one militant of the ULFA, when he was coming to collect extortion money of INR 150,000 from a Junior Engineer of Mangaldai town in the Darrang district. Later the militant was identified as Sanjay Barman of Namsala village under Sarthebari police station in the Barpeta district.

  A self-styled ‘sergeant major’ of ‘109th battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as Niren Das alias Jibon Das, surrendered before Deputy Commissioner R.C. Jain and Superintendent of Police Debajit Hazarika in the Kamrup district.

• october 26: Around 30 militants led by a self-styled ‘sergeant major’ Rafel Maradona of the ‘709th battalion’ of the ULFA declared cease-fire. The report added that they are camping at a designated area in Moiradonga.

  Security forces located a training camp run by the ULFA at Bakapura in the Sherpur district across the international border with Meghalaya. The camp was located following the arrests and surrender of a few cadres who came to Assam from that camp. The report added around 150 ULFA militants, including middle rank leaders such as Antu Chowdang, Pradyut Gohain and Drishti Rajkhowa, are hiding in the camp. The intelligence sources mentioned that the ULFA must be receiving direct or indirect help from the DGFI or from the BDR as it would not have been possible for the militant group to run a camp so close to the international border.

• October 25: Five ULFA militants and a soldier were killed during an encounter between a joint team of the Army and CRPF personnel and militants at Mahina village in the Nalbari district. The slain militants, including one identified as Corporal Sanjit Sarania, belonged to the ‘709th battalion’ of the ULFA. One kilogram of RDX, four pistols, two grenades, one radio set, 29 rounds of live ammunition, one K.G. of urea, two IEDs, nine detonators, five magazines of SLR and fuse wires were recovered from the encounter site.

• October 24: Police has established direct links with Hira Sarania, leader of the ‘709th battalion’ of the ULFA, to bring overground the last potent fighting arm of the outfit. Police sources said "though Sarania had not committed himself for peace but not rejected the idea either". "He had not snapped communication with us, which itself raises a lot of hope", unidentified Police sources said. The ‘sergeant major’ of ULFA, Bhaskar Rajbongshi, who surrendered in Guwahati a couple of months back, was acting as the link between the police and the battalion commander. After his surrender, Rajbongshi got in touch with Sarania to persuade him to follow the path of the leaders of the 28th battalion.

  The ULFA accused Jiten Dutta, a senior pro-talks leader of 28th battalion, of killing many innocent people, while he was in the outfit, to destroy the image of the outfit with the help of Indian security force. The accusation comes in the wake of protests by civilians in Kakopathar area of Tinsukia district over the killing of youths in the Kumsang reserve forest on September 30. The statement also mentioned that the killing was carried out without the knowledge of the outfit’s top leadership. The ULFA spokesperson said that protests in Kakopathar against the outfit over the killings were also instigated by Dutta.

• October 22: A ULFA militant, Diganta Buragohain, was arrested by the Guwahati city Police when he came to collect money from a city-based trader.

  Hundreds of people, including women and the elderly, led by various organisations, gathered in front of Kakopathar Boys Higher Secondary School and staged a protest in the incident of killing of five Assamese youths by the ULFA, whose decomposed bodies and skeletons were found in Kumsang reserve forest on September 30. This protest showed that the ULFA had loosen its feet in the Dibrugarh district especially in Kakopathar area, where the outfit had enjoyed unflinching support, till the mass grave at their erstwhile camp was discovered.

• October 21: The Government of India had clarified that it has not received any ‘formal proposal’ from ULFA for direct talks. The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Radhika V Selvi in a reply to the question by Narayan Chandra Borkotoki in Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) said that "The Government of India is open to talks with any militant groups including ULFA provided that they should stop violence first".

• October 17: Police arrested a surrendered ULFA cadre, Dipen Barhoi, on charges of extortion at Mariani in the Jorhat district.

  ULFA is recruiting new cadres under the ‘supervision’ of the self-styled ‘commander’ of the ‘28th Battalion’, Bijoy Chinese, and ‘Lieutenant’ Antu Saudang, in the Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat districts. The report added that the new recruits are being sent to Myanmar for training under the ‘guidance’ of ULFA senior cadre Jiban Moran. As a result of this recruitment drive, the number of trainees at Myanmar camp since the announcement of ceasefire by two companies of the 28th battalion of ULFA has reportedly increased to 130 cadres, who are being trained by Jiban Moran. Intelligence sources further claimed that more than 40 new recruits from Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts were sent to Myanmar camp for training.

• October 16: Unidentified militants killed a civilian, identified as Ratul Das at Quarry Chowk under Mushalpur police station in the Baksa district.

• October 15: Three ULFA militants, Indrajit Roy from Baterhat, Nihar Barua from Coochbehar and Sheikh Mohammed from Chapor were arrested by the 21st Jat Regiment in Dhubri district. One US-made 7.65 mm pistol, 2 magazines, six rounds of live ammunition and one mobile set with SIM cards were recovered from their possession, who ran an extortion racket.

• October 14: Troopers of the Red Horns Division of the Army arrested two suspected ULFA cadres from the Agomoni areas under Golokganj police station in Dhubri district. One 9-mm pistol, six rounds of live ammunitions, two mobile sets were recovered from the two militants.

  Investigations have pointed at the involvement of ULFA in the October 1 serial blast in the Tripura capital, Agartala. Interrogation of ATTF collaborators Shanti Debbarma, Angad Santhal and a third arrested person, Brajamohan Debbarma the father of hardcore ATTF militant Surjya has revealed that ULFA militants had provided primary training in the use of explosives to a group of ATTF militants, besides supplying them bomb-making materials. CID’s report said that Surjya Debbarma masterminded the blasts. The investigation further revels that a group of ATTF activists, including Surjya, had undergone primary training in use of explosives under the guidance of ULFA, before being intensively trained by a group of BDR and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) officers at Muksinghat near Chittagong town in Bangladesh in August and September. The ATTF had received a consignment of bomb-making materials from ULFA in their hideout at Satcherri just across the border in Simna area of Sadar (north) and the materials had been carried across the border by two tea garden labourers of Satcherri, Mohan Munda and Mangal Munda, under the supervision of Surjya.

• October 13: One Girish Kalita of Belguri Pathar village under Mushalpur police station in the Nalbari district was shot dead at Lamidara by two unidentified assailants. Kalita was an ULFA activist who surrendered at the Tamulpur Army Camp three months back.

  Three militants, one each from NDFB, AANLA and ULFA, surrendered before Brigadier VSBS Cherukupalli, Commander of 25 Sector Assam Rifles of Dah Division, at Lekhapani in Tinsukia district. The surrendered militants were identified as Ajay Basumatary of NDFB, Ghanshyam Guala of AANLA and Hemakant Deka of ULFA’s ‘27 Battalion’.

  The former ‘commander’ of the pro-talk faction of the 28th Battalion of the ULFA, Mrinal Hazarika has said that former ‘commander’ of A and C companies of ULFA Jiten Dutta is in no way involved in the killing of four youths whose decomposed bodies were recovered on September 30 from a mass grave at Kakopathar in the Tinsukia district. He also alleged that the present ‘commander’ of the 28 Battalion Bijoy Chinese was directly involved in the killing. Hazarika further disclosed that the youths were killed on charges of supplying all information to Army by then ‘commander’ of the A company, Arun Baruah on the direct instruction of Bijoy Chinese.

  After neutralising two fighting wings of the ULFA, the 28 and 709 battalions, the government now has set its sights on the 109 battalion which is the logistics division of the outfit. This ‘battalion’ operates out of Goalpara district and its adjoining areas across the Assam-Meghalaya border. The 109 battalion mainly looks after the logistical requirements of ULFA, men and weapons and helps the rebels from Assam to cross over to Bangladesh. It also arranges passage for cadres from the neighbouring country to the state through the Garo hills of Meghalaya.

• September 30: The dead bodies of four youths were recovered from a mass grave in the reserve forest at Kakopathar in the Tinsukia district, where makeshift camps of the ‘28th battalion’ of the ULFA were located a few months ago. The mass grave was suspected to be the dumping ground of dead bodies of those who had been abducted and later killed by the ULFA militants.

  The Army killed a ULFA militant at Rangali Botuwagaon under Kakotibari police station in the Sivasagar district. A 9-mm pistol, three live rounds, 600 grams of explosives, four detonators, four bundles of wires, clothes and documents were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

• September 29: The cease-fire group of ‘28 battalion’ of the ULFA asked Assam Government to call off army operations from Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts of upper Assam on an "experimental basis" to give the peace process a chance.

• September 28: The Guwahati city police arrested ULFA militant, Pranjal Saika from the area under the Fatasil Ambari police station and recovered a hand-made pistol from his possession.

• September 26: A ULFA militant was killed during an encounter with security forces in the Baksa district. A pistol, several rounds of ammunition and some documents were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

• September 25: The dead body of Manashjyoti Dutta, son of a co-operative inspector, abducted by the ULFA militants from Nazira in Sivasagar district of Assam on September 8, was found from a place near Nazira police station. The ULFA militants had demanded INR 1.5 million for the release of Manashjyoti. The police arrested one Pradip Dutta, a relative of Manashjyoti in this connection.

• September 24: The security forces arrested one Tutu Saikia, an ULFA militant at Panbesa in the Sivasagar district. He was allegedly involved in the Rangghar Chariali blast.

• September 21: The Army personnel arrested a cadre of the 709 battalion of the ULFA, identified as Prafulla Roy, of Kukshi village under Fakiragram police station in Kokrajhar district. Two IED each weighing three kilograms were recovered from his possession and were later defused by bomb squad.

• September 19: In a statement from Dibrugarh, the former ‘self-styled commander’ of ULFA Prabal Neog, questioned the decision of the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, not to withdraw army from the State. Neog is one of the leading figures of the pro-peace ULFA faction.

• September 18: ULFA militants killed an alleged Army informer, Pramod Baishya, at Chengapathar village under Kalaigaon police station in the Udalguri district.

  An improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a bicycle exploded inside Bijni circle office compound in the Chirang district injuring 22 persons. The ULFA is suspected to be involved in the incident.

• September 16: The Army said that Shashankar Baruah, who was killed in the September 12 encounter with the troops in Dirak Reserve Forest Area near Margherita in the Tinsukia district, was involved in re-organisation of the ULFA.

• September 15: An ULFA militant, identified as Uddhab Rai, was arrested by the security forces during a joint operation at Golokganj area in the Dhubri district

• September 12: Troops of the 19 Kumaon Regiment killed a ULFA militant, identified as ‘second lieutenant" Sasanka Baruah alias Ananta Gogoi, during an encounter inside Upper Dehin-Derak Reserve forest in the Tinsukia district along the Assam-Arunachal border. He was reportedly the ‘organisational secretary of the 28 battalion’ of the outfit. An AK-56 rifle and a magazine with four live rounds and 26 empty cartridges were recovered from the encounter site.

  In a statement mailed to the media, the ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa declared ‘expulsion’ of Prabal Neog from the outfit for his alleged conspiracy in killing of Sasanka Baruah.

• September 8: The Nalbari police recovered an IED near National Highway-31 from a bus on way to Nalbari from Rangiya in the Kamrup district. Two suspected paid bomb couriers of the ULFA, identified as Siraj Ali and Baputi Das, were arrested in this connection.

• September 5: A cadre of the ‘709 battalion’ of the ULFA, identified as Dhan Kalita alias Joon was arrested by Guwahati city police during a search operation at Amingaon area.

• September 2: ULFA militant, Gajen Malakar was shot dead by security forces during an encounter at Dakshin Singra near Rangia in the Kamrup district.

• August 31: An ULFA cadre, Rabi Rava, surrenders along with an AK-56 rifle at Udalguri Army camp. Rava is a cadre of the ‘27 battalion’ of ULFA. He had joined the outfit in 1996.

  Army arrested four ULFA linkmen while they were trying to extort INR 150000 from the manager of a tea garden in the Sisumaria area under Nampur police station in the Tinsukia district. They were identified as Kulinda Gogoi, Pintu Kisan, Kebal Bangra, and Rajesh Kisan.

• August 28: 39 militants, including 31 cadres of the ‘709 and 27 battalions’ of the ULFA, surrendered before the Army at the headquarters of the 21 Mountain Division at Rangia, about 45 kilometres way from Guwahati. The others included five KLNLF cadres and cadres from the AANLA. The surrendered militants deposited a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including pistols, revolvers, grenades, detonators and gelatine sticks.

• August 27: The pro-talks group of the ULFA starts negotiations with some of the prominent leaders of the ‘709 battalion’ in Nalbari. Jiten Dutta, self-styled commander of the ‘Alfa and Charlie companies of the 28 battalion’, said one round of talks is already over and he was expecting a formal announcement of cease-fire by leaders of the ‘709 battalion’ soon. "Right now we can only say that the discussions were along the expected lines," Dutta said.

• August 25: Guwahati Police arrested one Poornima Biswas and recovered two detonators, four gelatin sticks and 10 rounds of AK-47 ammunition from her possession. Biswas is originally from Malda in West Bengal and the police suspects that she has links with the ULFA.

• August 25: Two ULFA linkmen, identified as Nabacharan Koch and Samudra Rava of Jangipara and Baspara villages respectively, are arrested in a joint operation by the Army and police.

• August 23: The ULFA threatens its defected leader, Jiten Dutta, with dire consequences if the latter continues its efforts in collusion with police and the Army to engineer erosion in the ranks of different ‘battalions’ of the ULFA.

• August 22: Five ULFA linkmen, Rituram Boro, Sankar Deb Sangha, Dipesh Roy, Sanjoy Singha and Bipul Singha, are arrested in Bongaigaon. They are suspected to have been involved in bomb blasts in the district in the recent past.

• August 21: An unnamed senior police officer said the leadership of the ‘709 battalion’ of the ULFA was in contact with the police leadership and a formal cease-fire by the group was ‘likely very soon’.

  Two ULFA militants, Madhusudan Roy and Monu Roy, are arrested by the Army personnel during a search operation at Agomoni in the Dhubri district. 27 rounds of live ammunition of AK-47 rifles are recovered from them.

• August 20: The Nalbari district police arrested a cadre of the ‘709 Battalion’ of the ULFA, Bhaskar Rajbongshi, from Maligaon in Guwahati. Bhaskar said that he would not surrender but try his best to bring his co-cadres in the outfit to the negotiation table.

• August 18: Police arrested a ULFA cadre, Tajen Ray, from Tamuapara in the Bongaigaon district. A Bulgarian pistol with 39 live rounds and a Chinese grenade are recovered from him.

• August 17: Troops arrest three ULFA militants from Kokrajhar town. One pistol, one grenade, one AK series magazine and 11 live ammunitions are recovered from them.

• August 16: One suspected ULFA militant is wounded during an encounter with police personnel at Azara in Guwahati.

  Two bomb blasts are triggered by suspected ULFA militants at Swahidbedi and Paglathan in the Bongaigaon district.

• August 15: Two civilians are wounded in a bomb blast triggered by the ULFA at the Block Development Office near the venue of Independence Day celebration at Dharmasala in the Dhubri district.

  One bomb hanging on a tree on the parade ground at Gauripur town of Dhubri district explodes. Another blast occurs near the parade venue at Kajalgaon in the Chirang district when suspected ULFA militants lob a grenade. None were injured in these incidents.

  People chased a group of three ULFA militants while trying to destroy a flag hoisted on the premises of the Bhutiapara Lower Primary School in the Chirang district. Even as the militants opened fire to scare the public, the locals captured the two militants. One 9-mm pistol and some ammunition were recovered from them.

• August 13: Two ULFA militants are shot dead by Assam Police and the Army during an encounter at Sanyasini Pahar in the Bongaigaon district. Two German-made revolvers, two bullets, five empty cartridges and two mobile handsets with many SIM cards are recovered from the possession of the slain militants. Other militants manage to escape from the encounter site.

  SFs recovered RDX weighing 2.25 kilo grams in the form of 10 solid sticks with black coating from Borkona Pahar under Mancachar police station in the Dhubri district. Police suspect that the ULFA was ferrying the consignment.

• August 12: Two ULFA militants are shot dead by troops during an encounter at Chotemari in the Nalbari district. One 7.62-mm pistol, a bullet, a grenade and IEDs weighing five kilograms are recovered from the possession of the slain militants.

• August 11: One unidentified ULFA militant is shot dead by troops during an encounter at Paikan Madhapara in the Goalpara district. One IED weighing five kilograms with electronic detonators, a 7.65- mm pistol and three rounds of ammunition are recovered from his possession.

  Suspected ULFA militants lob a grenade at the office premises of the Bongaigaon District Superintendent of Police damaging a few windowpanes.

• August 10: Four militant groups - the ULFA, Manipur People’s Liberation Front, Tripura People’s Democratic Front and the KLO – ask people in the Northeast region to boycott the celebrations of Independence Day on August 15

• August 9: During a search operation to arrest an ULFA cadre, the SFs unearthed a bunker made of concrete wall at a bamboo grove at Pakamara village under Borbori police station in the Baksa district.

  Two IEDs planted by the suspected ULFA militants at Gouripur in the Dhubri district are recovered and later defused by the Army personnel. The report adds that the IED can be programmed in a manner that if the first detonator fails to trigger the explosion, the second one will get activated automatically. "This enhances the precision of the IEDs as well as making deactivation very risky. Timer devices are generally very erratic. Many a times they fail to explode because of a problem in programming. But in this kind of device, if one programme fails, it automatically activates the other," an unnamed Army explosive expert says.

• August 8: One ULFA linkman, identified as Jakir Hussain, was arrested during a joint operation by Army and Assam Police at Phuturigaon under Chaygaon police station in Kamrup district. A trans-receiver device with the capacity to intercept other radio messages within 30 kilometres range was also recovered from his possession..

• August 7: Suspected ULFA militants trigger a bomb blast in Bongaigaon damaging a portion of a drain.

  One suspected ULFA cadre, Subhrata Chanda, is arrested by the Guwahati Police from the Inter-State Bus Terminus. Two gelatine sticks and many detonators are recovered from his possession.

• August 5: Army arrested two ULFA cadres, Abdul Zumur Sheikh and Ismail Murmu, from Gossaigaon.

• August 4: A trooper of the Sashastra Seema Bal (a paramilitary force), Rana Sarma, is shot dead by suspected ULFA militants at Malihita on the Assam-Bhutan border under Chirang district.

• One senior ULFA leader and ‘commander’ of the outfit’s 109th battalion, Dharmen Hajong, who was arrested on August 2-night, allegedly committed suicide inside a cell at Tura police station in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. Police said he used his blanket to hang himself inside the cell. Hajong, who was originally from the 28th battalion, two months back replaced Madan Koch, killed in an encounter on January 22, as the ‘area commander’ of the 109th battalion in charge of Garo Hills, was mainly responsible for monitoring supply of arms and ammunition from Bangladesh to cadres in Assam via the porous Garo Hills border.

• August 2: A senior ULFA leader is arrested from Tura Super Market in Meghalaya. According to police sources, the ULFA leader, identified as Dharmen Koch, belonged to the 128th Battalion of the outfit and he had been running a shop in Tura Super Market for the past two months. During interrogation, Dharmen revealed that two months ago he received an order from the ULFA leadership to shift the Battalion to Myanmar since the atmosphere in Bangladesh was not conductive for the organisation. One week later, he was again asked to take over as 'area commander' of ULFA's 109th Battalion in Garo Hills from Madan Koch who was killed in a police encounter on January 22, 2007. Police said the 109th Battalion was involved in supplying arms to the ULFA from Bangladesh through Garo Hills. The Battalion also carried out extortion drives in the plain belt areas of Garo Hills.

• July 31: One ULFA cadre is arrested with a sophisticated digital mine along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

• July 30: Assam Tribune reported that the ULFA has business interests in a leading media house, the Transcom Media, in Bangladesh. Transcom Media is the publisher of the prestigious Bengali daily Prothom Alo, English daily The Daily Star, besides two periodicals. The report adds that the outfit‘s business interests are diverse – ranging from driving schools, nursing homes, hotels to garment export houses to deep-sea trawlers.

• July 27: The pro-talks leader of the ULFA, Prabal Neog, while addressing a gathering at Gondhoiguri in the Tinsukia district said that "a handful of leaders and cadres" cannot usher in peace in Assam.

• July 25: One trader, Pankaj Kumar Bezbaruah of Tihu area in Nalbari district, who was abducted by three United ULFA militants on July 3-evening, is released. Meanwhile, the Nalbari district All Assam Students Union secretary, Salim Malik, is arrested in this connection.

• July 23: Three cadres of the ULFA’s ‘709 battalion’ are killed in an encounter with Army and police at Namati village under Ghograpar police station in the Nalbari district.

• July 21: One ULFA linkman, Mukul Saikia, is arrested by the troops from the Dalang Ghat area in the Darrang district.

• July 20: The ULFA rules out peace talks with the Union Government in the near future, stating that it would go down fighting like the father of Naga insurgency A.Z. Phizo "rather than surrender to the Indian forces like (former Mizoram chief minister) Laldenga."

• July 19: An ULFA leader, Amrit Dutta, is killed in an encounter with the police at Katonihati Jurbil under the Jengraimukh police station in Jorhat district. However, two of his accomplices managed to escape. Amrit Dutta carried a head money of INR 300,000 and was responsible for the abduction and subsequent killing of Sanjay Ghose, an activist of the non-governmental organisation AVARD-NE in 1997.

  Police arrested a person, Ranjan Bikash Borgohain, from the residence of a Parliamentarian, Anowar Hussain, in New Delhi, while trying to extort money in the name of ULFA. Hussain is a Parliamentarian from the Dhubri constituency in Assam. Ranjan had contested the last Legislative Assembly elections from Tingkhong seat in Assam on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket.

• July 18 : The ULFA ideologue, Bhimkanta Buragohain, is remanded to 14 days judicial custody in connection with the various charges against him under the Arms Act. He is presented before the Tezpur Additional District Sessions Judge along with two other accomplices, Bolin Das alias Amarjyoti Gogoi and Amulya Roy, who were also awarded similar sentences.

  The former commander of ULFA’s 28 battalion, Mrinal Hazarika, addressing a gathering at the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, said: "Come what may, we will not take up guns against our colleagues, even if we are attacked."

• July 11: The ULFA militants belonging to ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of the ‘28 battalion’ led by Mrinal Hazarika start taking shelter at the designated camp set up at the jail complex of Chapakhowa under Sadiya sub-division in the Tinsukia district.

• July 10: The leader of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA, Moon Borah alias Jiten Dutta, said that they had proposed to set up a designated camp at Lakhipathar in the Tinsukia district.

• July 7: Two ULFA militants, Prasanna Bora and Mintu Bhuyan, are arrested by the Assam Police at Chardwar in the Sonitpur district. They were arrested while coming to one Jayanta Sen Deka, a Congress party leader of the area, to extort money which was demanded a few days back by the outfit.

• July 8: Around 5,000 people gather at an auditorium in Kakopathar in the Tinsukia district to endorse the path of peace chosen by a section of the ULFA’s ‘28^th battalion’.

• July 7: The ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said that three pro-talks leaders of the ‘28^th battalion’, Mrinal Hazarika, Moon Borah alias Jiten Dutta and Joon Sonowal alias Joon Bhuyan, are expelled from the primary membership of the outfit for ‘anti-organisational’ activities and initiating talks with ‘colonial India’.

• July 6: Nearly 150 surrendered ULFA cadres of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia gather at Chabua and urge the Union Government, Assam Government and the ULFA leadership to "look beyond their respective rigid stands and simply come forward for direct talks."

• July 5: The ULFA ‘commander’ Jiten Dutta said that leaders and cadres of the ‘28 battalion’ of the outfit would not lay down arms though it had announced a unilateral cease-fire with the Government.

  The ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa said the outfit will not dissolve the People’s Consultative Group constituted by it to facilitate the peace talks.

• July 4: Assam Government offers security to the leaders and cadres of the ‘A and C companies of 28 battalion’ of the ULFA, who had recently declared a cease-fire, similar to the kind of protection provided to surrendered militants.

• July 3: Army arrested one ULFA cadre, Manik Baruah, from Athrighat along Baksa-Udalguri border. He is from the ‘707 Battalion’ of the outfit.

• July 2: Mangaldai police arrest three persons in connection with the June 29 killing of a surrendered ULFA cadre, Tapan Saikia, by ULFA militants at Jaljali in the Darrang district. They are identified as Ajoy Saikia, Bhaben Das and Bipul Deka.

  Police said that the ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua, and two other leaders, Chitraban Hazarika and Antu Chowdang, are respectively known as Kamruj Zamal, Mizanur Rehman and Khan Baba in Bangladesh. "We have compiled a detailed report vis-à-vis residential addresses, the Islamic names and business dealings of each and every militant leader currently staying in Bangladesh," an unnamed police officer said.

• July 1: The ULFA mentioned in the editorial of its mouthpiece Freedom that the security of sovereignty of Assam was never a precondition of the group, and it was only an agenda of talks. "The security of sovereignty of Asom was never a precondition of the ULFA. It was the media that hyped the issue of sovereignty and projected it as one of our preconditions," the editorial said, adding, "for peace talks with the Government of India, the ULFA had only two preconditions — any talks with the Government of India should be held in a third country and that should be under UN mediation. We, however, dropped these two preconditions also when the PCG went to New Delhi to do the spadework for the peace process."

• June 30 : A bomb planted by the ULFA militants explodes at Diphu town in the Karbi Anglong district.

  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the ULFA was serving the interest of the forces inimical to India including that of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

• June 30: Mrinal Hazarika, ‘commander of the 28th battalion’ of the ULFA, appeals to the other ‘battalions’ of the outfit to enter into a cease-fire for the sake of the people of Assam.

• June 29: At least seven persons are killed and 35 others, including two policemen, are injured in an explosion at a weekly crowded marketplace in the Kumarikata village of Nalbari district. Police accused the ULFA for the blast.

  One surrendered ULFA cadre, Tapan Saikia, is shot dead by four suspected ULFA militants at Jaljali in Mangaldoi.

  At least five persons, including two policemen, were injured in a grenade blast triggered by the ULFA militants at Teliapatty in Nagaon.

  At least seven persons are killed and 35 others, including two policemen, are injured in an explosion at a weekly crowded marketplace in Kumarikata village of Nalbari district. Police accused the ULFA for the blast.

  June 28 : Bangladeshi journal Narinjara News reports that the ULFA cadres staying in Maungdaw town of Myanmar have been preparing to set up a generator powered by paddy husk to supply electricity. "The group is now setting up a generator in Maungdaw town and will start the distribution of electricity from July or August," the journal said. The generator would provide power to Maungdaw for five to six hours a day. The journal added that about 20 ULFA members are living in Maungdaw where they run cosmetic shops, a computer cafe, and a telephone booth.

• June 26: One woman, identified as Joyanti Koch, who used to provide ULFA with information, is arrested while she was moving out of Mancachar in Dhubri district.

  An unidentified ULFA militant is killed while two others manage to escape in an encounter with the security forces (SFs) at Maju village in the Nalbari district. A 9-mm pistol and a grenade were recovered from his possession. Police said three militants, who were taking shelter in a house, tried to flee by lobbing a grenade when the SFs raided the village. Two others managed to flee.

• June 25 : Following the unilateral cease-fire declared by A and C companies of the ‘28th battalion’ of the ULFA, Assam Government decides to stop military operations against these two particular companies of the outfit. However, operations would continue against those elements indulging in violence. Assam Director General of Police R. N. Mathur said, "We welcome the cease-fire gesture by the 28th battalion and our stand has been to help anyone who is interested in peace. However, action will continue against those indulging in subversive activities."

• June 24 : Militants of the A and C companies of the 28th Battalion of the ULFA announce a unilateral cease-fire. In a statement distributed at Chapakhowa in the Tinsukia district after a meeting of the militants at Amarpur in Sadiya, they said, "In the interest of a peace dialogue between ULFA and the government, we desire discussions to sort out the problems of Assam. To facilitate a congenial atmosphere for the talks, we are declaring a unilateral cease-fire from June 24, 2008, and we hope our gesture would result in reciprocation from the Assam government and the Government of India. Our decision of today follows a deep desire of the people of Assam for peace talks, and we would appeal to the ULFA Central Committee and the Government of India as well as the Government of Assam to initiate peace talks immediately." However, the B Company of the battalion, which has about 150 cadres, was not present at the meeting.

  Around 32 militants belonging to the ULFA, NSCN-IM and NSCN-K surrender before the Army at Mariani in the Jorhat district. Of the 32 surrendered militants, 26 belong to ULFA, four belonged to NSCN-IM and two are from NSCN-K.

  26 ULFA cadres surrendered before the Army at Tamulpur in the Baksa district.

  Two ULFA cadres surrender at Diphu in the Karbi Anglong and Chariduar in Sonitpur districts. The militants laid down two AK series rifles, four revolvers, 21 pistols, eight grenades besides huge quantity of assorted ammunition during their surrender.

• June 23 : Assam Government asks Police to restrain from any unilateral action against the ULFA as that could hamper peace efforts with the outfit’s 28th battalion. A secret memo was reportedly been issued to all district superintendents of police a few days back to bolster the Government’s initiative to bring the outfit’s most potent unit over ground.

  The vice-president of the Bodo Santi Mancha (BSM), Lakshman Boro, is shot dead by former BLT cadres at his residence at Bagulamari village under Barbari police station in the Baksa district. The police recovered two empty cartridges from the spot.

• June 22 : Assam Police arrest senior Peoples’ Consultative Group member Hiranya Saikia from his shop at Christian Basti in Guwahati on charges of his alleged link with ULFA. Additional Superintendent of Police Debojit Deori says a case was registered against Saikia under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

• June 17 : Two ULFA militants are killed during an encounter with Army personnel at Bandarkhati Khamti village near Namchai in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam. One pistol, a revolver and an improvised explosive device weighing ten kilograms are recovered from them.

• June 14: A hardcore ULFA militant, identified as ‘Lance Corporal’ Prabin Gogoi alias Dhanti was a member of the outfit’s 28th Battalion’s C company, was killed in an encounter with the Army personnel at Saraipung under Digboi police station in the Dibrugarh district.

• June 15: Four hardcore ULFA cadres of the 28th battalion were shot dead by the Army in an operation at Kanubari village of Charaideo subdivision of Sibsagar district. The slain militants have been identified as Badal Khargoria, Annie Bauri, Sumit Gohain and Ajit Gogoi.

  Army arrested three suspected ULFA linkmen from Bimalapur under Borhat Police Station. They have been identified as Bitupan Gogoi, Lakhyajit Gogoi and Lokesh Gogoi.

• June 16: A surrendered ULFA member, Rana Gogoi, was arrested by Dibrugarh police in connection with a blackmailing and sex racket case.

• June 17: A surrendered ULFA activist Tilok Gogoi alias Montu was arrested by the Police at Sapekhati in the Sibsagar district on the allegations of torturing a woman.

• June 10: Three ULFA militants were shot dead in an encounter with the SFs at Borbam village under Tengakhat Police Station in the Dibrugarh district.

  A ULFA militant, identified as Aditya Naidu alias Tarun Pandav, of the Bravo Company of the 28th Battalion of the outfit was killed in an encounter with the Army at Timon tea estate under Kakotibari Police Station in the Sivasagar district. A woman ULFA cadre, identified as Karabi Gogoi, was also arrested during the encounter.

  Police arrested three suspected ULFA conduits from a house in the South Sarania area of Guwahati. They were identified as Abani Mahanta, Chandan Deka and Nayan Sarma.

• June 9: Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the SFs at Palashguri in the Baksa district. The militants are identified as Dharya Deka, the ‘commander’ of ULFA’s 709 Battalion and another cadre, Rana Rabha.

• June 8: Army personnel killed a ULFA militant and seized a huge consignment of arms during an operation at Teji Gaon village in the Dinjan area of Dibrugarh district.

  A ULFA linkman, Dhaneswar Deka alias Rinku Deka, was arrested from Karbi Anglong.

• June 6: Two hardcore ULFA militants, identified as Hitesh Basumatary and Manoj Boro, were killed in an encounter with security forces at Jagannathpur under Tihu Police Station in the Nalbari district.

• June 5: A ULFA militant was killed in an encounter with the Army at Jengonichowk under Kakopathar Police Station in the Tinsukia district.

• June 3: Guwahati city Police arrested two ULFA militants, including a woman cadre, from the Inter State Bus Terminus under Gorchuk Police station in Guwahati.

• June 2: Two ULFA militants, Jehirul Islam and Mujibur Rehman, surrendered before the security forces at Dhubri. The militants also deposited one AK 81-1 rifle, two Chinese grenades, 74 rounds of ammunition, three magazines and one ammunition pouch.

• June 1: Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Khardang Dalupara Rangsekgaon under Dudhnoi Police Station in the Goalpara district.

• May 31: Suspected ULFA militants shot dead Khagen Chandra Deka, head of the Dolonghat village under Kalaigaon Police Station in the Udalguri district.

  A senior cadre of the 28th Battalion of the ULFA, Sanat Gogoi, surrendered before the security forces at Duliajan Army camp in the Dibrugarh district.

  A close associate of the ULFA chairman Arobindo Rajkhowa, idenitifed as Kamala Rajkonwar, was arrested by the Army at Charimuthia Konwar village near Lakwa in the Sibsagar district.

• May 24: A hardcore ULFA militant, identified as Pulan Moran alias Phulen Chetia, was shot dead in an encounter with Army personnel at Bormusai in the Dirak area of Tinsukia district.

  A ULFA militant was killed in an encounter with the Army at Barahi Kacharigaon under Sonari Police Station in the Sivasagar district.

• May 23: 12 ULFA militants surrendered before the security forces at Dinjan Army camp in the Dibrugarh district.

• May 22: Suspected ULFA cadres shot dead a civilian, identified as Dhaneswar Moran, at Nakathalguri village under Pengeri Police Station in the Tinsukia district.

• May 19: Five persons were injured when suspected ULFA militants hurled a grenade at Rani Sati Mandir Path in the Tinsukia district.

• May 18: A ULFA militant, identified as Hemanta Moran alias Utpal Neog, was killed in an encounter with the Army that took place at Bor-Dirak village under Kakopathar Police Station in the Tinsukia district.

• May 14: Two ULFA hideouts were neutralised by the Army personnel in the Dibru Saikhowa reserve forest of Tinsukia district.

• May 12: Two ULFA cadres were killed in an encounter with the Army at Leseri in the Baksa district.

  Police arrested an ULFA cadre, Geetanjali Devi, at Barama in the Nalbari district.

  An ULFA cadre, Sanjay Hazarika, was arrested by police from Tipling Tiniali in the Tinsukia district.

• May 9: Two ULFA linkmen were arrested by the security forces at Amtuli under Fakiragram police station in the Kokrajhar district.

• May 8: Two ULFA militants were killed by the Army personnel during an encounter at Kathalguri Hunjan village under Kakopathar police station in the Tinsukia district. Two 9-mm pistols are recovered from their possession.

  Seven ULFA cadres surrendered before the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Kamrup district R.C. Jain at Guwahati.

  Army neutralised a ULFA camp at Parbatpur town bordering Dilli Reserve Forest and Joypur Reserve Forest in the DIbrugarh district.

• May 7: Army personnel arrested one ULFA linkman, Manoj Gogoi, from Maut Metimekhana village in the Dibrugarh district.

• May 5: Telegraph reports that Nirmal Konwar, ‘second-in-command of the 27 battalion’ of the ULFA, confessed that the outfit is now carrying out only operation-specific recruitment, where a person is assigned a single task and has no links with the outfit thereafter. Konwar and his wife were arrested when they were undergoing treatment at a nursing home in Guwahati on May 1. "If the target is a politician, persons having access to the political field are being selected for the purpose. Training is provided on the use of pen pistols," he said. The report added that these recruits, when arrested, cannot provide any clues to the police because they are unaware of the identities of those who engaged them.
  
  Two ULFA militants belonging to the‘709 battalion’ were arrested by the Army personnel from Agomoni in the Dhubri district.

• May 1: A trooper, identified as Saheb Singh, and one ULFA militant, Ajay Deka, are killed during an encounter at Dalanghat under Kalaigaon police station in the Darrang district. Two militants, including one injured in the encounter, managed to escape. A pistol, two magazines, 115 rounds of AK-47 rifle ammunition and mobile phones were recovered from the incident site.

  Two ULFA cadres, Indra Raja alias Numal Konwar and his wife Dharitri alias Damayanti, were arrested when they were undergoing treatment for malaria at a private hospital in the Guwahati city. They belonged to Baghara village in the Morigaon district and were trained in Bhutan.

  One ‘sergeant’ of the ULFA, identified as Kalpajyoti Gogoi alias Kolamoni, is arrested by the SFs during a search operation near Sapekhati police station in the Sonari district.

• April 30: A joint team of the Army and Assam Police neutralised a ULFA transit camp at Bangshijhora hill in the Dhubri district. An unnamed senior police officer said the camp was frequently used by the ULFA, NDFB and KLO militants, since they have some common areas of operation and used this vital transit camp not only for shelter but also for ammunition supply. Ten rounds of live ammunition of 12 bore pistols, seven rounds of 12 bore fired cases, eight live and five spent rounds of ammunition of AK-47 rifles, 18 live and seven spent rounds of .22 pistols, two blank detonators, 500 grams of explosive, one improvised explosive device (IED), wires, one 7.62-mm magazine of LMG and one rotating block of AK-56 were seized from the camp. A Global Positioning System device, a digital diary, two blank extortion notes signed by the ‘commandant of 709 battalion’ of the ULFA, Hira Saraniya, a Chinese camera, 20 kilograms of rice and one kilogram of Bengal gram were also recovered.

• April 25: 27 ULFA militants, including a woman cadre, surrendered before General-officer-Commanding (GOC) of 21 Mountain Division, Major General Chander Prakash, and senior police officials at Tamulpur in the Baska district along with a large number of arms, ammunition, and extortion notes. Of the 27 cadres, 19 were from the ULFA ‘709 battalion’ while the rest of them belonged to the outfit’s 27 and 109 battalions. Some of these cadres were reportedly trained in the ULFA camps in Bhutan and Bangladesh. "This is the fourth surrender since October. It is fallout of the growing differences of opinion between the top leadership and cadres of Ulfa," Major General Prakash said. He added that due to concerted counter-insurgency operations targeting the ULFA, the strength of the outfit has come down to hundred odd members in Lower Assam. He informed the media at the headquarters of the Red Horns Division that "The Red Horns Division, since the last many years, is trying to put consistent pressure on the ULFA, especially in the Lower Assam area, and this has helped in restoring peace."

• April 23: Assam Police arrested three youths when they were extorting in the guise of ULFA militants at Jorhat. They were identified as Montu Dutta, Babajan Ali and Biren Bora.

• April 23: Sentinel reports that the ULFA has changed its extortion strategy. Instead of issuing written extortion notes, the outfit is now demanding a huge amount of cash from the businessmen of upper Assam by sending SMS through mobile phones. The report added that when the security forces were conducting counter-insurgency operations in upper Assam, cadres of the ‘28th battalion’ of the ULFA led by self-styled ‘commander’ Bijay Chinese were sending SMS to a number of businessmen of upper Assam demanding amounts ranging from INR 10 00000 to INR 50 00000.

• April 22 : The Sivasagar district administration announced that a surrendered ULFA leader, Tileswar Lahon, who was allegedly involved in the April 13 killing of one Dulen Baruah at Himpora village under Moranhat police station, would be arrested. The announcement was made by Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner N.M. Hussain at his office when thousands of students and villagers under the leadership of the All Assam Students Union protested.

• April 18: The Union Government categorically rules out any possibility of talks with the ULFA on its main demand for sovereignty. The Union minister of State for Industry, Ashwani Kumar, said, "We are all for talks but these have to be within the ambit of the Constitution. The unity and integrity of the country is not negotiable, let there be no ambiguity on this front."

• April 16: The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Radhika V. Selvi, informs the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) that inputs suggest that the ULFA has been using the territory of Bangladesh to procure and smuggle arms and explosives into India. The Minister was replying to a question on whether ULFA commanders have a vast network running seven hotels and six nursing homes, besides procuring weapons through the port city of Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh.

• April 12: One ULFA militant was shot dead by the Army personnel who retaliated when eight suspected ULFA cadres opened fire on them at upper Dihing Reserve Forest in the Tinsukia district.

  Two ULFA cadres, Mandal Hasda alias Sadhu and Birbal Murmu, were arrested by the Army personnel at Gwmfela under Kachugaon police station in the Kokrajhar district.

• April 7: ULFA hoisted its flags at several places in the State on the occasion of its ‘raising day’.

• April 6: One ULFA-linkman is arrested from Debottarhasdah village under Golokganj police station in the Dhubri district.

  One hardcore ULFA militant, Hemchandra Bora alias Udipta Hazarika, surrenders before the Assam Police in the Tinsukia district.

• April 4: Sentinel reports that the ULFA has plans to execute a series of disruptive acts in the Dibrugarh district during its ‘foundation day’ on April 7. The report added that a group of 10 ULFA militants headed by hardcore militant Madhurjya Gohain are already moving around Tingkhong, Tengakhat, Khowang and Sasoni areas in the district and waiting for an appropriate situation to trigger bomb blasts and kill innocent persons. Militants have also reportedly intensified their extortion activities and have set a target of extorting around INR 50 00000 in the entire district.

• March 31: 18 cadres belonging to various outfits, including 13 from the ULFA, three from the NDFB and one each from the Khaplang and Isak-Muivah factions of the NSCN, surrenders before Major General Jatinder Singh, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Mountain Division at Dinjan Military Station in the Dibrugarh district.

• March 28: An ULFA cadre, Partha alias Rakta Kachari, surrenders before the Dibrugarh district administration and deposited a hand grenade at the time of surrender.

• March 26: A joint team of Assam Police and the Army arrested a ULFA militant, Pramulya Boruah, from Neo Deoghariya village under Tengakhat police station in the Dibrugarh district. The arrested cadre reportedly is an IED expert of the outfit.

  A businessman, Raju Jain, is shot dead and his son Narendra Jain sustains injuries when suspected ULFA militants open fire on them at Mohkhuti under Nimuguri police station in the Sibasagar district.

  One ULFA militant, Chanchal Dangoria, is arrested during a search operation at Matiakata area in the Tinsukia district. He was reportedly asked to survey probable sites for planting improvised explosive devices in the upper Assam districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh.

• March 25: One person, Subhrajit Sonowal, was arrested while he along with two of his accomplices was trying to extort money, in the name of the ULFA, from one Bhola Lahon, a school teacher, at Bekadolong under Sonari police station. Two others, however, managed to escape. One motorbike was recovered from him.

• March 23: One ULFA militant, Binoy Baishya, who was earlier arrested from Sualkuchi in the Kamrup district, confessed during his interrogation on that a cycle that was recovered from him was converted into a bomb. Following his confession, a team of explosive experts tore open the cycle on March 24 and found that the seat of the cycle can be opened easily and high power explosives like TNT and TETN were fitted into the hollow pipes of the cycle. One bomb and a programmable time device were also recovered from him.

• March 20: One suspected ULFA militant, Manindra Rai,, was killed in a gunfight with a team of police and army personnel at Gouripur in Dhubri district.

• March 17: One ULFA militant involved in several bomb blasts in the Tinsukia district was killed in an encounter with the police at Dirakbokhai village in the Dibrugarh district. Two other militants, however, escaped.

  One suspected ULFA militant, Satyajit Chetia, was seriously injured when one of the bombs being carried by him exploded in the Sibsagar district.

• March 15: SFs killed two militants, suspected to be either from the ULFA or the NDBF, during an exchange of fire at Silikhaguri Sapori under Narayanpur police station in the North Lakhimpur district. An injured militant escaped with his AK-47 rifle, while a pistol with five rounds of ammunition and a revolver with four rounds were recovered from the slain militants.

  Six hardcore ULFA militants surrendered and laid down their arms at a formal ceremony at the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner’s office. The militants were involved in many operations, including bomb blasts, in and around Guwahati besides recruitment drives in lower Assam. The militants said that they were getting increasingly disillusioned with the manner of functioning of the outfit, especially their top leaders, which made them quit it and return to the mainstream.

  Four persons were killed and more than 50 others, including some women and children, were injured in a grenade blast at Jonai in the Dhemaji district. According to official sources, about 15,000 people gathered in a field near the Jonai circuit house to celebrate Ali-Aye-Ligang, a festival of the Mising community, when suspected ULFA militants lobbed a grenade at the crowd. The deceased were identified as Bina Pegu, Kabita Sonowal, Sahadhan Ali and Someswar Sutradhar. However, the ULFA has denied its involvement in the attack.

• March 13: Army shot dead a ULFA militant, Rupa Moran, after he lobbed a grenade at the troops at Hatibandha village under Tengakhat Police Station in the Dibrugarh district.

• March 10: Three ULFA militants were arrested during a search operation at an unspecified place.

  Two ULFA militants, 'sergeant major' Amrit Ballav alias Mizo and 'corporal' Bikram Hazarika alias Uttam Hazarika, surrendered along with arms and ammunition before the Golaghat district administration.

• March 9: An ULFA militant, Suryamohan Rai, and a linkman, Shafiul Rahman, were arrested by the security forces from Golokgunj area of Dhubri district along with a pistol and INR 10,000.

• March 9: Four Hindi-speaking people were shot dead by the ULFA militants near Udalguri tea estate between Chabua and Tengakhat in the Dibrugarh district.

• March 5: One person was injured when ULFA militants exploded a bomb near the District Magistrate's office at Lakhimpur.

• March 4: Two ULFA militants, identified as Tapan Baruah alias Arun Baruah and Parikshit Chettry, were shot dead by the Assam Police during an encounter at Thanubam village under Barbaruah police station in the Dibrugarh district. Two pistols, some ammunition, explosives, three cell phones and some documents were recovered from the encounter site.

• March 3: Three suspected ULFA linkmen, Abdus Sattar, Atowar Rahman and Hazrat Ali, were arrested by the Assam Police during a search operation at Damalkona village in the Dhubri district. One motorcycle was recovered from the residence of Abdus who was suspected to have used that for carrying ULFA cadres.

• February 28: Union Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, said that the Centre is not ready to hold any talks with the ULFA on the issue of "sovereignty of Asom". Gupta also said, "The ULFA has to give up violence before holding peace talks with the Centre, and there will be no mediators in the peace process. The Government is ready for only direct talks with the ULFA."

• February 27: One person, identified as Ajit Ghosh, was killed and 14 others were injured in an IED blast by suspected ULFA militants at Borgolla Chariali near Tezpur Sadar police station in the Sonitpur district.

• February 23: Police arrested a suspected ULFA linkman, Judhajit Das, from Barpeta.

• February 21: Suspected ULFA militants shot dead a school teacher, Pradip Hazarika, at Kakopathar Harumechai village in the Tinsukia district. They also assaulted his neighbour, Jiten Changmai, before leaving the place. The same group also killed one Bhoyen Moran, a resident of the adjoining Bormechai village.

• February 16: Four ULFA militants were killed in a joint operation by the Army and police in the Sibsagar district.

• February 14: Police seized a boat that the ULFA had been using to ferry arms and its cadres to Guwahati city. Police also arrested seven persons including the boat driver, and seized 10-kgs of RDX from the boat at Goroimari in the Kamrup district, about 100-km from Guwahati.

• February 12: A ULFA militant, Champak Sharma, suspected to have been involved in the abduction of FCI official P.C. Ram was arrested at Guwahati. Police also recovered an M20 pistol, ammunition, five kg of RDX and bomb-making materials from his rented house.

• February 11: Police arrested a ULFA linkman, Abhinash Gogoi, from Panichokua area under Pulibor Police Station in the Jorhat district.
  
  The Commander of the 27^th battalion of ULFA, Keshav Hazarika, Lieutenant Biraj Phukan and sergeant major Kumud Bordoloi, surrendered along with several others at Dinjan army base. Wife of Keshav Hazarika, Meenakshi Hazarika, reportedly surrendered in absentia.

• February 10: Assam Police foiled a plan of the ULFA to hijack a plane from Guwahati airport to Pakistan and arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy. ULFA’s 709th battalion’s Manoj Tamuly alias Randip Baruah alias Kamal Das alias Haloi alias Pathak and his fiancee Dharitri Sarma, also an ULFA militant, were arrested from Panjabari Bagorbori area of Guwahati. During interrogation, Manoj confessed that the ULFA had planned to hijack a plane from Borjhar and to take it to Pakistan. Based on his confession, a prominent advocate, Nekibur Zaman, was also arrested. The house of a human rights activist, Lachit Bardoloi, was raided while a television journalist Pradeep Gogoi was arrested from Tinsukia.

• February 6: Three persons were arrested by the police on February 6 for allegedly demanding money from an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation employee by posing themselves as ULFA militants. The trio, arrested from Geleky area in the Sivasagar district, was allegedly demanding INR 250000.

• January 30: A hardcore ULFA militant and chief instructor of the outfit's 709 battalion, 'sergeant' Bubul Das alias Himangshu Rava alias Ritu Basumatary, surrendered before the police in the Baksa district.

• January 27: Two ULFA militants and a Captain of the Gorkha Regiment of the Indian Army were killed in an encounter at Borpathar Rongagora under Doomdooma Police Station in the Tinsukia District. Acting on a tip-off that a group of ULFA cadres were taking shelter there, the Army personnel launched an operation. Captain S. K. Choudhury and two militants, identified as Tutu Maran alias Pallab Baruah and Jitul Dohutia alias Chandan, were killed in the gun battle. One AK-56 rifle, two magazines, more than 100 live bullets, one mobile phone and an IED were recovered from the incident site.

• January 25: Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the army at the Dibru-Saikhowa reserve forest in Tinsukia. One of the slain militant was identified as Dhajiya Gogoi.

• January 24: 38 ULFA militants, including a woman cadre, surrendered before the security forces at Tamulpur in the Baksa district. They also deposited 27 pistols, 18 grenades, 22 detonators, 30 kg of explosives and 150 live ammunition of AK-47 assault rifle.

• January 22: Security forces shot dead a militant of the ULFA at Raidang village under Digboi Police Station. A pistol and four live cartridges were recovered from his possession.

  Police arrested three ULFA linkmen, identified as Kishor Roy, Gautam Barman and Uttam Baruah, from the Boitamari area of the Bongaigaon district on an unspecified date allegedly for maintaining links with a top ULFA militant Pulak Bharali. The linkmen confessed that they were assigned to trigger violence on or before Republic Day (January 26) in the district.

• January 20: Guwahati city police arrested two hardcore ULFA cadres from Golaghat district for their alleged involvement in a host of subversive activities in the city recently. They were identified as, Abhijit Dutta and Pradeep Kurmi, and reportedly masterminded the car bomb blast at Pan Bazaar in Guwahati in 2007.

  In Tinsukia district, security forces arrested one ULFA cadre, identified as Lambeswar Khotowal, from Borhapjan and another cadre, Daman Moran, from Borgaon. Security forces also recovered one revolver, 16 round of live bullet and few ULFA extortion notes from the militants.

  An ‘area commander’ of the ULFA, identified as Madan Koch, was shot dead by security personnel when they neutralised a hideout at Katalbari near Garobadha in the West Garo Hills district in Meghalaya. Two packets of RDX, a pistol with two magazines and some ammunition were recovered from the incident site.

  Guwahati city police arrested two hardcore ULFA cadres from Golaghat district for their alleged involvement in a host of subversive activities in the city recently. They were identified as, Abhijit Dutta and Pradeep Kurmi, and reportedly masterminded the car bomb blast at Pan Bazaar in Guwahati in 2007.

  In Tinsukia district, security forces arrested one ULFA cadre, identified as Lambeswar Khotowal, from Borhapjan and another cadre, Daman Moran, from Borgaon. Security forces also recovered one revolver, 16 round of live bullet and few ULFA extortion notes from the militants.

  According to intelligence reports, the ULFA has managed to sneak in a number of programmable time device switches into Assam through Bangladesh in the recent times. Police said that the ULFA has been bringing in weapons and explosives through Bangladesh by taking advantage of the porous international border and the 109 battalion of the outfit has been entrusted with the task of transhipment of weapons. The members of the battalion are based mainly in Garo hills of Meghalaya and in Goalpara district for the transhipment of weapons.

• January 18: A ULFA cadre, identified as Dilip Kalita, was shot dead in a joint operation by the Army and police in the Konwarpur area of Sivasagar district. Three grenades and some improvised explosive devices were recovered from the spot.

  Intelligence reports have said that a huge consignment of explosives and dozens of small arms has been transshipped into Assam by the ULFA from Bangladesh a week back and the consignment has reportedly been received by ULFA ‘commander’ of lower Assam, Hira Sarania, from the courier from Bangladesh.

  Intelligence reports mentioned that 40 trained ULFA cadres had already sneaked into the State from Bangladesh to carry out subversive activities ahead of the Republic Day (January 26). They could target the public and crowded places, especially in Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.

• January 16: A ULFA militant was killed in a gunfight with the Army at Kumari Gaon under Mahadevpur police station in Arunachal Pradesh along the Assam border.

  Security forces arrested a hardcore ULFA militant, identified as Damodar Das of Karmipora village in the Darrang district. The militant confessed about the plan of ULFA to plant improvised explosive devices in several places of the district on the eve of Republic Day (January 26) and of his involvement in an extortion drive in the district. Security forces also recovered five crude bombs, three detonators, two mobile phones and two SIM cards from his possession.

• January 13: One ULFA militant, identified as Bitupan Moran, was arrested from Rajgarh tea estate in the Tinsukia district. One kilogram of explosives, including six live rounds of AK 56 and 15 rounds of assorted ammunition, were recovered from him.

  At least 17 persons, including six security force personnel, were injured when suspected ULFA militants triggered a powerful grenade explosion in front of the Paltan Bazaar police station near Guwahati railway station.

• January 12: Four railway workers were injured when suspected ULFA militants lobbed grenades on them at Rongsal in the Dibrugarh district.

• January 11: Police arrested a ULFA militant, identified as Arjun Deka, in the Baksa district and seized five French made timer devices.

  Security forces arrested a ULFA militant, identified as Raju Chetri alias Moni Subba, and a linkman, identified as Diganta Hazarika, near Tingali Bam Tea Estate under Sonari police station in the Sivasagar district. Some leaflets of the outfit were recovered from their possession.

• January 10: Security forces killed a ULFA militant, identified as Corporal Puwali Dowerah alias Hiren Dowerah, in an encounter at Ahukhat village under Makum police station in the Tinsukia district. The security forces also recovered one .32 pistol, one magazine with two live rounds and three bicycles at the site of the encounter.

• January 9: Two militants of the ULFA, including a woman, surrendered before the police in Dibrugarh. The surrendered ULFA cadres were identified as Bhaimon Changmai alias Nabin Dutta and Bina Payeng alias Rimi Bora. They also deposited a 9 mm pistol along with magazines and six live rounds of ammunition.

• January 7: An Assamese poet, Santanu Sarma, was arrested at Malikuchi in Nalbari town on charges of writing seditious material for the ULFA and mobilising opinion against counter-insurgency operations.

• January 6: One person, identified as Abdul Rehman Bepari, was injured when a bomb planted by suspected ULFA militants in his garage exploded at New Iddgah Colony in Dhubri town.

• January 5: ULFA ‘sergeant’ Swapna Baruah alias Swapna Moran was killed in an encounter with the army at Dirak Rongpuri village of Tinsukia district.

  Security forces arrested two ULFA militants, Nikhil Bhuyan and Jadab Saikia, from Naginimora in the Sivasagar district. An unspecified quantity of RDX, INR 11,000 in cash and incriminating documents were recovered from them.

  Seven ULFA and three NSCN-IM cadres surrendered at an army camp in the Tinsukia district. They deposited two 9mm pistols, a .22 pistol, a revolver, four grenades and ammunition of assorted weapons.

• January 3: One surrendered ULFA cadre and a Bharatiya Janata Party activist, identified as Jatin Lahkar, was shot at by two suspected ULFA militants at Datara under Ghograpar police station in the Nalbari district.

2007

• December 31: ULFA accused the Union government of trying to gain political mileage over the peace talks issue and insisted that a written assurance should be given to discuss sovereignty to revive the peace process.
  
  Three ULFA militants are killed by security forces in the Dibru Saikhowa National Park located across Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

  One ULFA militant is shot dead by a joint team of the police and Central Reserve Police Force at Bhetapara in the Basistha police station area of Guwahati.

• December 30: One surrendered ULFA cadre, Bijoy Shankar Hazarika, and his wife, Anita, are shot dead by the ULFA militants at Khatikuchi under Ghograpar police station in the Nalbari district.

  An encounter between police personnel and the ULFA militants is reported at Philobari in the Tinsukia district. Police suspect the outfit was planning to blow off a bridge over the Dibru.

  Two ULFA linkmen, Utpal Mandal and Brindaban Tudu, are arrested by the Army personnel from near the Gurufella area under Kachugaon police station in the Kokrajhar district. Two pistols, seven rounds of ammunition and four magazines are recovered from their possession.

• December 29: One militant of the ULFA [28th battalion ‘C’ company], identified as ‘corporal’ Dhaman Chetia, is killed by security forces at Kulabari village under Kakapathar police station of Tinsukia district. While another ULFA cadre, Amjad Chetia, is injured, one more cadre is arrested.

• December 28: At least 21 residents of Guwahati city are arrested and later remanded to police custody for playing varied roles in ULFA’s network of subversion. "We rounded up 25 people in the past two days, of whom 22 were arrested on specific charges. The 21 people arrested today were remanded in police custody," an unnamed police officer engaged in the crackdown said.

• December 27: An encounter between army personnel and the ULFA militants occurs in the Dangori reserve forest area of Tinsukia district. However, the militants manage to escaped from the incident site.

  Four ULFA cadres, Akur Rabha, Neel Sagar Rabha, Ajen Marak and Uday Ghosh, were arrested with a huge quantity of arms and ammunition at Balaikhawar and Hatisila villages near Lakhipur. One AK-81 rifle, three magazines with 65 rounds of ammunition, one 9-mm Italian pistol with five rounds of ammunition, one crude bomb weighing one kilogram and fake currency worth INR 4000 were recovered from them.

• December 25: One ULFA cadre is killed during an encounter with the Army in Sivasagar district.

• December 20: Four militants belonging to the’ 709 battalion’ of the ULFA outfit surrendered before the Army at Kamalpur in the Kamrup district. While one of the surrendered militants is a ‘sergeant major’ another is a 17-year-old cadre who had joined the outfit while he was studying in Class X standard in Goalpara High School in western Assam. They deposited one Chinese pistol with two magazines and 20 rounds of live ammunition, few grenades, four explosive fitted with programmable timer devices at the time of surrender.

• December 19: The Tinsukia District police arrested Nagen Moran, a ULFA cadre and a close associate of Jiten Dutta, leader of the ‘28 Battalion’ of the ULFA, from Margherita. During interrogation, Moran confesses before the police that he was involved in the car bomb blast that occurred at Beng Phukuri area in Tinsukia on November 25. On the basis of his confession, police arrested a doctor, Rupai Bora, who owns the Bora Nursing Home at Doomdooma. Bora allegedly provided medical help to the injured ULFA cadres and has also visited the militants’ camp at Lathau in Arunachal Pradesh.

  Intelligence sources stated that the ULFA could strike before the three-phase panchayat (local self-government) elections, scheduled to be held on December 31, January 4 and 9 in Assam, to prove its existence and use the disruption as publicity stunts. The commander of the ‘Charlie Company of the outfit’s 28 Battalion’, Jiten Dutta, recently warned all Congress Party candidates, especially those who had deserted the party in the wake of the quit Congress notice issued by the outfit in February, but had rejoined the party ahead of the panchayat polls and are contesting the elections — of dire consequences. A five-member group led by self-styled ‘sergeant major’ from the ‘Alpha Company of the 28 battalion’, Tete Bezbaruah, is reportedly operating in the Mohong, Dirak and Pengeri areas of Tinsukia district.

  December 15: A surrendered ULFA militant, identified as Ratul Das, was killed by some unidentified militants at his residence at Dharam Nala in the Karbi Anglong district.

• December 13: Two hardcore ULFA cadres, identified as Dusmanta Nath and Ujin Rabha, surrendered before the security forces at Dariduri in the Goalpara district.

• December 9: Police arrested four ULFA militants from different parts of the Guwahati city.

• December 7: One unidentified ULFA agent, who bailed out militants by providing false documents to courts, was arrested by the Army from Binoy Gutia village under Borboree police station in the Dibrugarh district.

• December 5: Security forces came under attack from the ULFA when five militants going along with a marriage party fired at them at Namhulung under Tengeri police station in the Tinsukia district. Security forces opted not to retaliate the firing but when they moved towards the marriage party, the militants fled towards the Doomdooma reserve forest.

  Security forces arrested two ULFA linkmen, identified as Indrajit Moran of Julliard under Doomdooma police station and Pinku Chetia of Borali Gaon under Kakopathar police station in the Tinsukia district. Police later released Indrajit Moran as there was no specific prima-facie evidence against him.

• December 3: A surrendered ULFA cadre, identified as Bogadhar Gogoi, was killed by two ULFA militants on at Bordoibaam village under Tengakhat police station of Dibrugarh district for allegedly helping the army to track down ULFA cadres. In retaliation to the killing, a group of masked men on motorbikes attacked an ULFA leader Madhurjya Gohain’s house in the same village and damaged some portion of his house and destroyed some of his belongings.

• December 2: Six cadres of the Alpha and Charlie companies of the ULFA’s ‘28 Battalion’ in the Tinsukia district surrendered before the Police and laid down their arms. They also deposited an AK-56 rifle with two magazines, a Belgium-made 12 bore pump action gun with seven rounds of ammunition, a .56 pistol with 14 rounds of ammunition, a .36 high explosive grenade, 7 kg of TNT and two coils of flexible wire.

  Suspected cadres of the ULFA lobbed a grenade at a garments shop near Kathiatoli in the Nagaon district injuring the shop owner and his son, besides another person who was there at the time of the blast.

• December 30: Guwahati city police arrested a ULFA cadre, identified as Jitu Barman a.k.a. Prahlad Barman of Baksa district, from the city’s Ganesh Nagar area under Basista police station.

• November 29: Two ULFA militants, identified as Gautam Das and Tiken Das, surrendered in a function held at Hajo military camp in Rangiya. They also laid down a pistol, 10 live cartridges AK-47 rifle.

• November 26: One ‘Lance Corporal’ of the 109th battalion of the ULFA, Janardhan Rabha alias Joseph Rabha, surrendered before the Goalpara police in the Goalpara district along with one AK-81 rifle, three magazines, one hand grenade and 90 rounds of bullets.

• November 25: Two civilians, including one identified as Shivili Devi, are killed and 14 others injured when ULFA militants triggered an Improvised Explosive Device blast at Manik Hazarika Road under Tinsukia town in the Tinsukia district. Five minutes before the explosion, a grenade was lobbed by unidentified assailants without causing any causality.

• One civilian, identified as Umesh Shah, is killed and three others injured when the ULFA militants exploded an IED device near a tea stall at Athgaon area in the Guwahati city. Barely 10 minutes after the blast, another IED also exploded at the same place without causing any casualty.

• Suspected ULFA militants lobbed a grenade at the office of the Sub Divisional Police officer of Bilashipara sub-division in the Dhubri district. However, no causality is reported.

• Police personnel recovered a powerful IED along with a programmable time device switch from a house in the Ambikagiri Nagar area in the Guwahati city and arrested two unidentified ULFA militants.

• November 23: Army personnel in a counter insurgency operation shot dead one ‘sergeant major’ of the ULFA, Lambu Moran alias Suren Moran, at Manabhum Reserve Forest under Dayon police station in the Lohit district. One pistol, four live rounds of ammunition and six detonators were recovered from the slain militant. Lambu hailed from Mohong village under Pengeree police station in the Tinsukia district of Assam.

• Security forces arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Mohan Rabha, along with a single-barrel gun and some fake currency notes from Makri in the Goalpara district. His confessional statement led to the arrest of one ULFA financier, identified as Tarun Marak alias Dekson, from Tikrikilla in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. Dekson is reportedly involved in carrying a huge amount of money from Bangladesh to Meghalaya and Assam on behalf of the group.

• November 22: Seventeen militants - 15 belonging to the ULFA and two cadres of the DHD and the KLNLF - surrendered to the Army at Laipuli Army Camp in the Tinsukia district. The ULFA militants were identified as Kundil alias Biju, Kalyani Baruah alias Pratima Baruah, Teet Gohain alias Ratan Tamuli, Mintu Gogoi alias Pratim Dohotia, Pallabi Dihingia alias Maya, Jyoti Dutta alias Ankita, Bharat Sonowal, Kalshad Rabha alias Ratul Rabha, Narayan Rabha alias Amit Rabha, Bishnu Rabha, Moina Moran, Gulab Baruah alias Deep Baruah, Alpana Sonowal alias Sangita Sonowal, Pankaj Bora alias Dhan Bora and Kukheswar Saikia. The two cadres of the DHD and KLNLF were identified as Kanak Bora alias Ladu Baruah and Mujori Phangso alias Rukasen Phangso. The militants deposited 339 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 30 rounds of AK-56 ammunition, five grenades, one rifle and one pistol.

• Police personnel arrested one ‘sergeant major’ of the ULFA, Porag Bora alias Jyotish Bora, along with an Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad member, Palash Dutta, from a Golaghat-Dergaon bound passenger bus on PHCG road in the Golaghat district. The AJYCP member acted as the ULFA cadre’s guide.

• November 21: Police personnel arrested four persons, Dilu Gogoi, Bhaben Baruah, Pankaj Sarma and Kuldip Hazarika, for demanding INR 20 lakh as ransom from a businessman in the name of the ULFA leader, Madhurjya Buragohain, from Guwahati city in the Kamrup district.

• An encounter between the ULFA and Army personnel was reported at Solatiniali under Charaideo police station in the Sivasagar district. Five ULFA militants engaged in the encounter fled leaving the driver and the vehicle they were travelling in. The driver was reportedly arrested.

• November 19: Eight militants belonging to the ULFA surrendered before the Army at Tamulpur in the Baksa district. They also deposited five pistols, 20 rounds of live ammunition and five grenades before the Army. They were identified as Akshya Kalita, Gautom Deka, Ranjti Nath, Phulen Das, Brajen Kalita, Bijoy Kumar, Nirmal Murmu and Pepa Boro.

• November 18: Suspected ULFA cadres shot dead three surrendered ULFA leaders, identified as Srimanta Chetia alias Bijoy Chinese, Prahlad Maran and Kamal Kandha, at Natun Dallang in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.

• November 17: Security forces neutralised one ULFA hideout at Nagapahar area inside Dilli reserve forest along the Assam-Nagaland border. Eight detonators concealed in eight packets along with three bags of magazines and daily requirements were seized from the camp.

• November 16: Security forces shot dead one ‘sergeant’ of the ULFA, identified as Raju Baruah alias Albert Gohain, at Jonai in the Sivasagar district along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. However, four other cadres managed to escape from the incident site.

• One self-styled ‘sergeant’ of the ULFA, Tulon Deori alias Prakash Deori, was arrested from a tea stall near Demow in the Sivasagar district. Deori, hailing from Deorigaon in Nitaipukhuri under Demow police station, had joined the ULFA in 1995 and trained in Myanmar in 1998. He also went to Afghanistan in 2002 and was reportedly with the ULFA ‘C-in-C’ from 2001 to 2006.

• Police personnel engaged in gun battle with the ULFA militants at Dhuansola area under Majuli subdivision in the Jorhat district. However, no casualties are reported.

• November 13: Security forces shot dead one ULFA militant, Hemo Gogoi alias Chintu Borgohain of Majuli, at Ajanti Gaon Ghat in the Sivasagar district. Two Chinese grenades, some detonators and Improvised Explosive Devices were recovered from the slain militant.

• A surrendered ULFA cadre, Uttam Buragohain, is shot at and injured by unidentified militants at Dihingia village in the Tisukia district.

• November 12: The ULFA military spokesman, Raju Baruah, revealed that two ULFA cadres were killed and seven others are abducted in the Mon district of Nagaland on November 11 by the NSCN-IM militants. Baruah demanded that the NSCN-IM release the ULFA cadres within three days.

• November 11: One ULFA cadre, identified as Mridul Moran, is killed in an encounter with the NSCN-IM at a petrol pump in Tizit. One cadre of the NSCN-IM, identified as, S M Konyak, was also killed during the clashes. Two civilians were injured in the incident. Sources added that one ULFA militant was abducted by the NSCN-IM.

• November 10: One self-styled ‘corporal’ of the 28th battalion of the ULFA, Utpal Bora, is killed in an encounter with the security forces at Mahadevpur area in the Lohit district.. One 9-mm pistol and four rounds of ammunition are recovered from his possession.

• November 9: A top-ranking ULFA militant, identified as 'sergeant major' of the outfit’s '109 battalion' Ratul Rabha, is arrested during a joint operation by the army and police from Oidoba village near the Meghalaya-Assam border in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district. Superintendent of Police JFK Marak told that three kilograms of RDX was recovered from the militant.

• November 7: The Army arrested two ULFA militants, Muzibur Rahman and Mahammed Munna, from Phalimari under Gauripur police station in the Dhubri district. Three hand-made pistols and live cartridges are recovered from their possession.

  One Myanmar-trained ULFA cadre, Anil Payeng, surrendered before the Majuli Sub Division Police Officer in the Jorhat district. Anil hails from Nalini Mising Gaon of Majuli.

• November 6: Security forces during a search operation recovered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in an ONGC oil pipeline at Mising village in Suffry under Charaideo subdivision in the Sivasagar district. The IED, weighing about 7-kg, is timed to blast off at 10 in the morning.

  Another IED is recovered near the office of the Sivasagar Superintendent of Police. The ULFA is suspected to have planted the explosives. The explosive is planted in a bicycle to explode at 12.30 pm in front of the SP’s office. The SFs later defused the bomb safely.

• November 5: Security forces arrested two senior ULFA militants, "second lieutenant" Somdev Phukon alias Ajit Phukon and his "corporal" wife, Popy Khanikar, at Bimalapur Charliali under Borhat police station in the Sivasagar district, when the couple is going to Dibrugarh Medical College Hospital for the treatment of their son. Sources said that the couple had arrived in Assam from Myanmar a few weeks ago to replace Sujit Mohan as the commander of the ULFA’s 28th battalion. Somdev has joined the ULFA in 1988 and is mostly based in Myanmar. During interrogations he told that the group had released him for family reasons.

• November 4: The ULFA militants killed two civilians, Papu Saikia and Kamal Maran, suspecting them to be army informers, at Mohang village in the Tinsukia district.

  Security forces in an encounter killed one self styled ‘sergeant’ of the ULFA, Ranjeet Borah alias Ananta Mech, at Dua Pathar in the same district, reports Telegraph. One pistol is recovered from the possession of the slain militant. Sources said that Bora and two other ULFA cadres took shelter at Dahpathar village under Kakopathar police station. However, the two other cadres managed to escape.

• November 2: An assistant manager of the Orang tea estate in the Udalguri district is abducted by a joint team of the suspected militants of the ULFA and the ANLA militants.

• November 1: 68 militants, including 66 ULFA and two Adivasi National Liberation Army cadres, surrendered to the security forces in a surrender ceremony at the firing range of the 4 Assam police Battalion Headquarters at Kahilipara in the Guwahati city. The surrendered ULFA cadres comprised four ‘sergeant majors’ and six ‘sergeants’, including Bipul Neog alias Ujjal Gohain. Four women, including ‘sergeant major’ Tulshi Rabha alias Malati Santosh, are among the surrendered cadres. Eight AK-56 rifles, five pistols, ten revolvers, a single-shot pistol, 11 No. 36 grenades, 16 Chinese grenades, eight AK-56 magazines, 145 rounds of AK-series ammunition, 55 rounds of 9-mm ammunition, four rounds of .22 ammunition, an RT set, three electronic detonators, five No. 36 grenade detonators, three gelatine sticks, five kg RDX, a packet of Cordex wire, an RPG cell and five PTD switch are deposited by the cadres.

• October 29: Two ULFA cadres, Nitul Sonowal and Muleswar Sonowal, are killed in an encounter with the security forces at Rangoli village in the Lohit district. Both the slain militants hail from the Dibrugarh district in Assam.

• October 28: One ‘sergeant major’ of ‘B’ company of the 28^th battalion of the ULFA, Anirban Basu alias Ananta Duarah, is shot dead by the security forces in an encounter at Mahmora Bhalukonigaon under Kakotibari police station in the Sivasagar district. One grenade and a 9-mm pistol are recovered from his possession. Sources revealed that the deceased is responsible for extortion in the Sonari, Moran and Sivasagar areas.

• October 26: Police personnel arrested one ULFA cadre, Amulya Das, from Fancy Bazzar area in the Guwahati city. Das had been working at a private business farm and hails from Bijulighat in the Nalbari district.

• October 24: An encounter between the ULFA militants and the troops is reported under Tangeri police station in the Tinsukia district. Two suspected ULFA cadres are injured in the encounter. One SLR and two bags containing improvised explosive device materials are also recovered from the incident site.

• October 23: Thirty-one ULFA militants and two from the KLNLF surrendered along with a huge cache of arms and explosives at Tamulpur in the Baksa district. One Thailand-made pistol, two PT 32 pistols, eight rounds of PT 32 pistol, an AK-56 Rifle, a radio set, ten rounds of AK-56 rifle, five rounds of 9 mm pistol, ten detonators, 20 metres fuse wire and four power gel explosives 801 (25 mm X25 mm) are deposited by the militants.

  The ULFA has reportedly shifted several of its leaders from upper Assam to the outfit’s hideouts in Myanmar to prevent their surrender. A report indicated that Amrit Dutta, a key accused in the Sanjoy Ghose murder case, and Amritballav Goswami, a bomb expert from Golaghat district, are among those who are being kept in confinement at hideouts in Myanmar.

• October 22: Two militants of the ULFA, Socrates Choudhury alias Vishal and Umesh Das, are arrested by Assam Police during a search operation at Fancy Bazaar in Guwahati city. They were working under the instruction of Hira Sarania, ‘commander of ‘709 battalion’ of the ULFA. "The duo used to identify potential targets for extortion and then serve demand notes, signed by Hira Sarania. Their targets included businessmen, professionals such as doctors and engineers, as well as government officials. The accused have confessed to serving ransom demands to several persons in the city," an unnamed police officer said. "Choudhury is suspected to have been involved in some recent bomb blasts here. He is also being interrogated for identifying the explosives suspected to have been stockpiled by ULFA in the city," the source added.

• October 22: ULFA’s 28^th battalion has reportedly served extortion notices on several businessmen in the Tinsukia district during the Durga Puja festival with an instruction to pay the amount on or before the ensuing Deepawali festival. Intelligence sources revealed that Jiten Dutta, who took over charge of 28^th battalion following surrender of Pranjal Saikia and Ujjal Gohain, has entrusted Dadul Bora and Luchi Neog of ‘C’ company to collect the amount from the businessmen before the Deepawali festival.

• October 19: Security forces arrested one ULFA cadre of the 28^th battalion, Dhajen Gogoi alias Ranjan Gogoi, from Manbhum Reserve Forest in the Lohit district.

• October 18: SFs arrested two suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants, Siddi Sarkar and Pradeep Sarkar, from Lohajani village under Golokganj police station in the Dhubri district on charges of extortion from a school teacher. An extortion note demanding INR 1 lakh was issued to a school teacher, Ronjit Bhakat, in the name of the ULFA.

• October 16: One senior cadre of the 28^th battalion of the ULFA, Pranjal Saikia alias Hiren Hazarika, surrendered to the security forces at Teju in the Lohit district. Saikia hails from Doomdooma in the Tinsukia district of Assam and had joined the outfit in 1990.

  One ULFA cadre, Arun Deka alias Amarendra, surrendered before the Morigaon district administration.

• October 13: An encounter between Army personnel aided by a group of surrendered ULFA cadres and ULFA militants is reported from Mahmora Tiloichuk village under Charaideo sub-division in the Sivasagar district. The encounter ensued following information received by the Army that ULFA militants are camping in the house of one Phani Gogoi. However, the militants managed to escape from the encounter site.

• October 8: Security forces in an encounter killed self-styled ‘sergeant’ of the ULFA, Rajiv Saikia alias Raheswar Deka Baruah, at Lukili village under Borhat police station in the Sivasagar district. One AK-56 rifle, three magazines, a 9-mm pistol, three pistol magazines, a grenade, three mobile sets and some incriminating documents are recovered from the incident site. One woman cadre of the outfit, identified as Mamu alias Satyama Bailung alias Rekha Bailung, was arrested from the same place.

  SFs neutralised three ULFA hideouts at Dilli reserve forest near Namrup in the Dibrugarh district. IEDs weighing ten kilograms, several copies of ULFA’s mouthpiece Freedom, medicines and ration were recovered from the hideouts.

  Suspected ULFA militants blew up a gas pipeline owned by the Assam Gas Company Limited at Nampum village under Chabua police station in the same district.

• October 6: Two ULFA militants, including one identified as ‘sergeant major’ Lankeswar Rabha, are shot dead during a counter-insurgency operation at Konakhat village under Tongla police station in the Udalguri district. Police said the two militants had taken shelter in the house of a person, Oben Rabha. Some explosives, a satellite phone, a 9 mm pistol, a revolver, six rounds of cartridges, four mobile phones, a mobile charger, letter pads, telephone diaries and cash are recovered from the slain militants.

• October 5: One unidentified ULFA militant is shot dead by Assam Police personnel during an encounter at Rakshasmari village near Chopai Tea Estate under Dhekiajuli police station in the Sonitpur district. While another militant manages to escape, one AK-47 rifle, one 9-mm pistol, two magazines of AK-47 rifle and two hand grenades are recovered from the encounter site.

  At least four persons, including a woman, are wounded when around 10 ULFA militants attack the residence of Dipak Pal, a Bengali-speaking person, at Leferagaon in the Sivasagar district.

• October 4: A grenade is exploded by the ULFA militants targeting Itachali police outpost in the Nagaon district. While two vehicles were damaged, no one is injured in the blast.

  Security forces arrested three suspected militants of the ULFA, Bipul Bora, Prabin Bora, Jyoti Prasad Lahkar, near Borjuri area under Samaguri police station in the Nagaon district. One KLNLF militant, identified as Budheswar Ingti, was also arrested from the same location.

• October 2: The ULFA denies a claim made by B. S. Jaiswal, General Officer Commanding-in-Charge of 4 Corps, that the outfit has links with Islamist outfits, including the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI). In an editorial in its mouthpiece Freedom, the ULFA accused the Army of launching a false propaganda "only to confuse the people."

• October 1: One ULFA militant, belonging to the outfit’s 28th battalion, is lynched by a group of irate civilians in the 1 Joraguri village of Golaghat district. The militant, identified as Mangal Singh, a "sergeant major" in the battalion’s "B Company", along with two of his accomplices was trying to intimidate a panchayat (village level self-government body) member into paying them a huge amount of ransom. Two accomplices of the killed ULFA militant, identified as a ULFA conduit Monikanta Sare and a surrendered militant Ganesh Pegu, are wounded.

  Two ULFA linkmen are arrested by the Army personnel from Jhagrarpar in the Dhubri district. One pistol and some blank notepads of the outfit are recovered from them.

  Seven ULFA militants, including a woman cadre, surrender before the Army authorities at Laipuli in the Tinsukia district.

• September 30: Two persons are killed and 25 others injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) was exploded by the ULFA militants near a restaurant at Doomdooma town in the Tinsukia district. Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order), D.K. Pathak, informed that one the two motorcycle-borne ULFA militants, carrying the IED, was killed and the other wounded in the blast.

  Four persons were killed and 21 others wounded in another blast triggered by the ULFA at Tinsukia town.

  One bomb blast is triggered by suspected ULFA militants causing substantial damage to the pipeline of a public sector undertaking, Oil India Ltd, at Tengakhat in the Dibrugarh district. B.C. Sarmah, chairman of the Assam Gas Company Limited, said the damage will disrupt gas distribution throughout upper Assam. The pipeline carries crude and natural gas from the oilfields of Dikom and Tengakhat to Duliajan.

  One blast is triggered by the ULFA targeting another gas pipeline at an unspecified place under Lankashi police outpost in the Tinsukia district.

  A surrendered ULFA cadre, Dipankar Boruah alias Bhaikon, is shot dead by suspected ULFA militants at Panikheti in the Jorhat district. He had reportedly surrendered in Jorhat two years ago.

• September 27: Two Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) militants surrender before the security forces at Golaghat. Prakash Timung a.k.a. Englong Timung and Moshe Finger a.k.a. Ancbung surrender along with two pistols. They have later told that the KLNLF had launched operations along with the ULFA to kill Hindi-speaking people in Karbi Anglong, adding that more than 20 ULFA militants are co-ordinating with the KLNLF to unleash violence.

• September 25: An unidentified ULFA militant is shot dead by Army personnel during a counter-insurgency operation at Manabhum reserve forest in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. One 7.62 mm self-loading rifle along with 21 rounds of ammunition is recovered from the slain militant.

• September 20: One self-styled ‘sergeant major’ of the ULFA’s ‘28th battalion’, identified as Lohit Duara alias Atul Pachoni, surrenders before the SF personnel at an unspecified location. Duara, who joined the ULFA in December 1999, was trained in Myanmar. One grenade, one-and-a-half kg of RDX and some documents were deposited by the cadre. Duara hails from Ulutoli village in Jalukonibari area of Titabor subdivision in the Jorhat district.

  ULFA has appointed Bijoy Das alias Bijoy Chinese as the new ‘commanding officer’ of the 28th battalion after the arrest of self-styled lieutenant Prabal Neog. Das hails from the Nalbari district and had been holding the post of ‘joint deputy commander’ of the battalion along with another senior ULFA leader, Bhaskar Hazarika.

• September 19: Ranu Das alias Gita Gogoi, wife of the Myanmar-based ULFA cadre, Dipen Das, along with her 14-month-old child, is arrested from Naharlagun in the Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh. Several compact discs and incriminating documents are recovered from the house in capital Itanagar, where she was staying. The house was rented by Purabi, wife of Prabal Neog, who was arrested from Tezpur town in Assam on September 17.

• September 17: The ‘commander’ of the 28th battalion of ULFA, Prabal Neog alias Benu Bora alias Aman Moran and his wife Purabi Neog alias Bonti Lahon, are arrested from Mission Chariali area under Tezpur town in the Sonitpur district. Neog was traveling with his wife from Arunachal Pradesh. Neog is a senior leader of the outfit, who masterminded the recent killings of the Hindi-speaking people in the Upper Assam districts. He was also looking after the eastern command of the ULFA. Neog, son of Haladhar Bora of Makum-Tarajan in the Tinsukia district, joined the ULFA in 1991. Earlier, he was the ‘vice-president’ of Tinsukia district committee of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad, an influential youth organization in the state.

• September 15: One ‘corporal’ of the ULFA, Amar Tanti, is killed by SFs in an encounter at Pakabam under Panitola police station in the Tinsukia district. Tanti hurled two hand grenades at the advancing SFs before he was shot dead.

• September 13: A person, Imdad Ul Haque, is arrested by Assam Police from Jalukbari area in the Guwahati city, for his involvement in extortion in the name of the ULFA outfit.

• September 11: The dead body of an unidentified ULFA cadre of the 28th battalion is recovered from the Manabhum reserve forest in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. Sources indicated that the militant had died of malaria.

• September 10: Suspected ULFA militants shot dead two civilians, Tarun Kundu, a restaurant owner and Ram Vilas Shah, a trader, at Talap Balibazar under Talap Outpost of Doomdooma police station in the Tinsukia district.

  Security forces arrested one woman ULFA cadre, Momi Kochari alias Juri Sonowal, from Tiphung Ghat under Duliajan police station in the Dibrugarh district. Juri was associated with the ULFA for the last six years. One mobile phone and a pistol were recovered from her possession. Another woman ULFA cadre, identified as Momi Gogoi, was arrested from the Kakopathar area in Tinsukia district. Reports revealed that Momi joined ULFA two years ago and received arms training at Manabhum Reserve Forest in the State of Arunachal Pradesh.

• September 9: Police personnel arrested two persons, Niru Jain and Anil Jain, from the Fancy Bazaar area in Guwahati for serving an extortion note to the Barpeta Zila Parishad (local government) official, Zakir Hussain, on behalf of the ULFA’s ‘709 Battalion commander’ Hira Sarania.

• September 8: Six ULFA militants surrendered at the Tamulpur Army camp in the Baska district along with a cache of arms, ammunition and explosives. They included a female cadre, Jainali Das, who had undergone training in Bhutan in 1999 and had been active in Barpeta, Nalbari, Goalpara and Guwahati, under the command of top ULFA leader Hira Sarania.

• September 6: Fourteen cadres belonging to the 28^th and 709^th battalions of the ULFA surrendered before the Inspector General of Police in Guwahati. They were identified as Dilip Kumar Sarmah - ‘second lieutenant’ of 709^th battalion, Robin Bejboruah and Lakshadhar Kalita - ‘sergeant major’ of 709^th battalion, Manish Gogoi and Syamata Gogoi ‘corporal’ of 28^th battalion, Dulal Bora, Rupam Gogoi, Chintu Gogoi, Anil Gogoi, Subhash Bora, Tapa Bora and Mitul Sandique of the 28^th battallion, Jayanta Roy and Rajani Kalita of 709^th battalion. One AK 47 rifle, three 9-mm pistols, a 0.22 rifle, two hand-made revolvers, a factory-made pistol, five grenades, two IEDs, four kg TNT, two electronic detonators, four non-electronic detonators, 18 rounds of ammunition of AK-47 rifle, six rounds of ammunition of 9-mm pistol and seven rounds of ammunition of 0.22 rifle are deposited by them.

  Bhagawan Das, a junior engineer of Paschim Nalbari Development Block, who was abducted from the Nalbari district on August 25, is released by the ULFA militants near Pathsala in the Barpeta district.

• September 5: Kamaleswar Das and his accomplice Joon Jyoti Sarma, the ULFA cadres who are allegedly involved in the Guwahati blast of September 1, confessed to having kept the LPG cylinder in the vehicle in which the bomb was strapped.

  Kamaleswar Das, who is involved in the September 1 bomb blast triggered by the ULFA at Bamunimaidam in Guwahati city, is arrested from Kumarikata in the Nalbari district. The report added that his accomplice, Joon Jyoti Sarma, surrendered at Dispur police station. Both of them confessed of planting the bomb in a vehicle with the help of an ULFA militant, Dhiren Das, who operates under two other militants, Dipak Das and Bhaiti. Dhiren is a cadre of the 709 Battalion of the ULFA. Police discovered during the investigation that the operation was masterminded by another ULFA militant, Akash Thapa alias Saranga Patowary.

• September 3: Guwahati police reportedly identified one Kamaneshwar Das as the main culprit of the ULFA-triggered Bamunimaidam bomb blast of September 1 in the Guwahati city. Das had hired the three-wheeler that is used in the blast around 15 days before and fitted it with the bomb at an unspecified location in the Nalbari district.

• September 2: Police personnel arrested three persons, Champak Barman, Biswajeet Deka and Bhagawan Barman, from the Guwahati city in connection with the ULFA-triggered Bamunimaidam bomb blast on September 1. Bhagawan Barman is the owner of the van in which the IED was planted while the other two are his associates.

• September 1: One person is killed and 20 others sustained injuries in a suspected ULFA-triggered explosion in the Bamunimaidan locality in Guwahati. The victim was identified as Ramlal Das, a cobbler from Begusarai district in Bihar. Police said a bomb kept in a three-wheeler went off at 11.45 am at the Railway Colony market of Bamunimaidan, a busy commercial area, leading to the explosion of three gas cylinders in the shops nearby.

  Four suspected ULFA militants are arrested from a bus, plying from Simlaguri in Barpeta district to Guwahati, near Rangia along with three IEDs.

  SFs arrested seven persons from several places in the Tinsukia district for having links with the ULFA. SFs recovered five kilograms of RDX from the residence of one of them.

  SFs arrested one ULFA militant, Atul Rai alias Satyajit Barman, along with one hand grenade, two detonators and some fuse wires from Panchapur Rabhapara area under Bongaigaon police station in the Bongaigaon district.

• August 31: SFs, acting on specific information about a likely weapons deal between the Manipur-based KRA and the ULFA at Laharijan under Bokajan police station of the Karbi Anglong district, arrested four militants on the National Highway-39. They were identified as Babul Baruah alias Prakash Baruah alias Kokai, a self-styled sergeant of ULFA’s 27^th battalion, Lung Min Thang, a cadre of KRA, Mannar Khan, an arms dealer and Abu Shama Ali. The Army recovered a 7.65 mm pistol with a magazine filled with four live rounds from their possession.

• August 30: SFs in an encounter at Motir Patti village under Gauripur police station in the Dhubri district killed Tapan Rai, a bomb expert of the ULFA. Rai is reportedly involved in several bomb blasts in the Guwahati city. One 9-mm pistol, four live cartridges and six empty cartridges are recovered from the incident site. However, some other ULFA cadres managed to escape from the incident site.

  SFs arrested two ULFA cadres, Kishor Roy and Uttam Chaudhury, from their houses at Abhayapuri in the Bongaigaon district.

• August 28: One ‘commander’ of the 709 battalion of the ULFA, Champak Sarma alias Ranjan, was killed by SFs in an encounter at Boragog village in the Kamrup district. While one SF personnel was wounded during the exchange of fire, one militant managed to escape from the incident site. A villager, Rupeshwar Deka, along with his family members was arrested for giving shelter to Ranjan and one of his accomplices in their residence. An AK-56 rifle, two grenades, two magazines, two mobile handsets, 37 live bullets, INR 4500 and extortion pads signed by Heera Sarania, ‘commandant’ of the 709 battalion of the ULFA, are recovered from the encounter site. Ranjan is reportedly involved in the April 17-abduction of P.C. Ram, the Director of the Food Corporation of India’s Northeast office, from Guwahati.

• August 27: Two ULFA cadres, Chandra Deuri alias Deep and Bipul Sarania alias Pritam, are arrested during a search operation at Dakshin Birikhana area under Sarbhong police station in the Barpeta district. Arms and explosives, including one Chinese-make grenade, an Italian 9-mm pistol, two programmable devices, three detonators, a tape recorder and eight rounds of ammunition, are recovered from them.

  Five ULFA cadres surrendered at the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat district. They were identified as Manab Gogoi alias Putul Daimary, Bhogeswar Bora alias Debojit Bora alias Bhaiti, Rituparna Bora alias Abhinabha Saikia, Nipun Sonowal alias Pankaj Bora and Naren Kachari alias Narsen Rongpi.

• August 25: Six suspected ULFA linkmen are arrested by SF personnel from Lahowal in the Dibrugarh district. Another ULFA linkman, Rinku Das, is arrested from Disangmukh village in the Sivsagar district. He was involved in a bomb blast, and confessed to be in direct communication with militant Ankur Shyam, belonging to the 'B company' of the ULFA's '28th battalion'. A grenade and some documents indicating his involvement in the blast in Sivsagar town in the first week of August 2007 are recovered from Das.

• August 24: A self-styled 'corporal' of the 28 Battalion of ULFA, identified as Sunil Gogoi alias Gomen Moran alias Lombu, surrenders at the Army headquarters in the Dibrugarh district.

• August 23: An unidentified ULFA militant is killed at Chagolia Part-II village under Golokganj police station in the Dhubri district. One villager, Prasanna Roy, is also injured in the encounter. An AK-56 rifle and some documents relating to the outfit are recovered from possession of the slain militant.

• August 23: Police confirm that a group of eight ULFA militants, including two women cadres, led by Randhir Rava and Akash Thapa, had entered the Dhubri district prior to Independence Day and were last reported to be moving in the area.

• August 21: Addressing the media in New Delhi, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the ULFA has set up camps in Meghalaya along the India -Bangladesh border. According to him: "The ULFA extremists often commit crime in Asom and slip over to Meghalaya or Bangladesh… Meghalaya is used as a safe passage or corridor by the rebels… What is now needed is a coordinated approach of all the NE state governments to take on the ultras while keeping the door open for the talks."

• August 20: Two motorcycle-borne ULFA militants hurl a grenade in front of a commercial building at Moran town in the Sivasagar district. No casualty was reported.

• August 20: A ULFA militant, Ananta Gogoi, is assaulted by local people of Chakma Basti near Chowkham in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. Three militants reportedly demanded a ransom of INR 10 lakh from a shopkeeper at Chakma Basti at gunpoint. The shopkeeper informed the villagers who reportedly assaulted him and later handed him over to the police. Gogoi joined the ULFA outfit in 2005 and was trained in Myanmar.

• August 14: Police personnel arrest Kailash Sarmah, a ULFA "negotiator" alleged to have settled several deals between businessmen and the ULFA, from Shantipur under Bharalumukh police station in the Guwahati city. An unnamed police official said that Sarmah has reportedly settled several deals on behalf of the ULFA in and around the Guwahati city in the past few years. "He is a negotiator. If ULFA demands Rs 100, he settles it, for say, Rs 75," added the police official.

• August 14: The Deputy Inspector General (Central Range) of Assam Police, L.R. Bishnoi, said, "The proscribed ULFA is providing logistic support, mainly in the form of providing arms and ammunition, to the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) in carrying out the recent orgy of violence which has seen more than 30 Hindi-speaking people gunned down by the Karbi militant outfit." He disclosed that the ULFA had set up two base camps at Shingasan range and Deopani hill and a transit camp at Samelangso in the Karbi Anglong district. A 100-member group of the ULFA is providing support to the KLNLF, he added.

• August 14: Police personnel recover three Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) from two separate places near Mangaldai in the Darrang district. Police raided the house of a civilian, Abdul Kadir, of Niz Kharupatea under Dhula police station and recovered two IEDs weighing about four kilogram each concealed in a bag. Police sources reveal that four suspected ULFA cadres, including a woman, had come to his residence and kept the explosives with the intention of exploding it in the adjacent Army camp.

• August 14: The BSF during a meeting with the BDR authorities refutes claims by the latter that militant outfits have no bases in the Sylhet division. Commander of the BDR’s Sylhet division, Col. Abul Hossain, claimed that not a single militant camp of the outfits operating in India’s northeast existed in the Sylhet division. Sources from the BSF as well as an intelligence agency in the Cachar district said that as many as 25 training camps were still in existence in the area, with the full knowledge of the authorities in Bangladesh. Outfits operating the camps are the ULFA, the HNLC and the NLFT-Biswamohan Debbarma. ULFA has six such training camps at Rajghat and Ramnagar Tetultala in the Moulvi Bazaar district, Nushirapunji and Islampur in Sylhet district and Jagadishpur and Saidpur in Habiganj district.

• August 13: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, in a Unified Command Structure meeting held at Guwahati, asked the security forces to dismantle all camps of the ULFA and KLNLF from Karbi Anglong district to put an end to the current killings of the Hindi-speaking people.

• August 11: Two more civilians succumbed to their injuries raising the death toll to 14 in the ULFA and KLNLF-joint attack at Rongteron village under the Bokajan Police Station on August 10.

  Suspected ULFA militants hurled a hand grenade targeting security forces at Borhat under Charaideo subdivision in the Sivasagar district. However no causalities are reported.

• August 10: A group of 10-15 suspected ULFA and KLNLF militants attacked a village at Dolamara in the Karbi Anglong district and shot dead 11 Hindi-speaking migrant workers. The dead include four women and two children belonging to two families originally hailing from the State of Bihar.

  Assam Police shot dead one ULFA militant, Jiten Sarania of Baska district, in an encounter at Hengerabari in the Guwahati city. However, two of his associates managed to escape in an injured condition. An unexploded grenade is recovered from the incident site.

  ULFA ‘Sergent Major’ Kumud Bora, who is killed in an encounter with the Army at Bordubi Tea Estate in the Tinsukia district on August 9, is involved in extortion activities. Army sources said that Bora collected INR 6 million as extortion money from the Duliajan, Kakojan, Tengagaon, Rupai, Makum and Pengri areas of Tinsukia district.

• August 9: A group of suspected ULFA militants shot dead one surrendered ULFA cadre, Pranab Moran, at Jutulbari village under Doomdooma police station in the Tinsukia district.

  Security forces killed one ULFA cadre, Kumud Borah alias Jaykanta Moran alias Gondhia, at Bordubi Tea Estate under Doomdooma Police station in the Tinsukia district.

  Police arrested Anirudha Nath, the main accused in the August 5 Agia bomb blast, from an unspecified location. Anirudha claimed that three ULFA militants had forced him to plant the bomb threatening to attack him and his family if he disobeyed.

  August 8: Nine civilians, including four women and three children, were killed and five others injured when a group of ULFA and KLNLF militants opened indiscriminate fire targeting the Hindi-speaking people at Ampahar Basti village under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

  Two civilians are wounded when suspected ULFA militants triggered an explosion at Anandapur Tiniali under Dispur police station in the Guwahati city.

  One civilian, Pranab Moran, is injured when suspected ULFA militants fired four rounds on him at his residence-cum-shop in Kheroni village under Doomdooma police station in the Tinsukia district.

• August 7: Three civilians, Ajit Bora, Debo Bora and Pranjal Gogoi, are killed and eight others injured, when ULFA militants triggered an explosion in front of the Jorhat police station in the Jorhat district.

  A bomb planted by the ULFA militants in a dust bin near Kamrupa Hotel at Ganeshguri Chariali in the Guwahati city exploded injuring two civilians.

• August 6: Police personnel arrested one ULFA activist, Bhupen Rajkonowar, from Paltan Bazaar in the Guwahati city. Earlier the police had recovered 15-kg TNT explosive from his parent’s residence at Tingkhong in the Dibrugarh district.

• August 5: Eleven civilians were injured in a ULFA-triggered improvise explosive device blast near Sonari police station in the Sivasagar district. The bomb was kept in between gunny bags containing wheat and potatoes in a handcart. Police arrested the owner of the handcart, Mohammed Kalam Miya of Bihar, and Mohammed Ikramul Ansari, the shopkeeper from where the wheat and potato bags are purchased by the suspected militants.

  Four civilians were injured in an explosion that occurred in front of the Assam State Trading Corporation bus depot in the same district.

  Three civilians were injured in another bomb blast at Agiapara evening market in the Goalpara district.

• August 3: A group of suspected ULFA and KLNLF militants shot dead one civilian, Shatrughan Pandey, at Dergaon market under Howraghat Police Station in the Karbi Anglong district.

  Police personnel arrested three ULFA militants, Dibyajyoti Boruah, Mano Medhi and Utpal Rajbongshi from Bharalumukh and Dispur areas in the Guwahati city. 25 detonators, four packets of liquid explosive gel, two bundles of fuse wire and some extortion letters were recovered from their possession. The four packets of semi-liquid colourless substance with the tell-tale label "Power Gel 801 Explosive" have led police to surmise that ULFA has added nitroglycerin, a high-energy explosive similar to the one used in the 7/7 blasts in London, to its terror arsenal.

• August 2: The security forces arrested one ULFA militant, identified as Babul Rabha, from Thamna in the Nalbari district along with one hand grenade.

• July 31: Police arrested one ULFA militant, Joiram Rabha, at Tarun Ram Phukan Road in the Guwahati city.

  Army personnel arrested ULFA cadre Arjun alias Ananta Moran from Dighalshaku village under Doomdooma police station in the Tinsukia district.

• July 30: SFs, during a search operation in two remote villages under Tingkhong police station in the Dibrugarh district, recovered 25-kg of explosives. The Dibrugarh Additional Superintendent of Police, Ashim Swargiary, said that 12 kgs of explosives were recovered from the house of one civilian, identified as Phulo Gogoi, in the Sishumara Borkulpari village and another 13 kgs from a house in the Nosandang Kunwarchuk village. The police arrested four unidentified persons, including a 15-year-old girl, who allegedly has a relationship with a hardcore United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadre of the 28^th battalion. The explosives, brought by another hardcore ULFA cadre of the outfit's 28^th battalion, Amar Tanti, was to be used to disrupt Independence Day celebrations in Parade Ground and also as car-bombs to trigger off a series of blasts in the Upper Assam districts.

  SFs recovered 1,475 detonators and 67 bundles of fuse wires from a jungle near Sipajhar in the Darrang district. The recovery was based on information from an arrested ULFA associate, Munindra Saikia, by the SFs on July 28.

  The ‘709 battalion’ of the ULFA, under the command of Heera Sarania, is operating in several vital areas of lower Assam, including Guwahati city. The City police after arresting and interrogating four ULFA cadres of the 709 battalion revealed that they had received arms training in Naokata and Goreswar in the Kamrup district and are asked to carry out subversive activities as well as extortion drive in Guwahati.

• July 29: Police arrested two ULFA militants, Mrinal Kalita and Dhireswar Deka, from Tulsibari area under Rangia police station in the Kamrup district.

• July 27: Two ULFA militants, Ridumsa Mushahary alias Siphung and Uday Das, were arrested by from Garobasti under Dispur police station in the Guwahati city. Three bombs with cordex wire, one PTED switch, two detonators and a mobile phone were recovered from their possession.

  SFs arrested one ULFA cadre, identified as Diganta Kalita, from Nizjhara in the Baksa district along with two hand grenades.

• July 25: The Dibrugarh district police arrested one ULFA militant, Bitupon Moran, from Khalihamari Red Cross Road in Dibrugarh. Moran is a resident of Hebeta Gaon under Makum police station and was reportedly carrying an improvised explosive device to trigger a blast at Chowkidinghee playground on the eve of Independence Day celebrations.

  Intelligence sources are reported to have indicated that the ULFA has slapped extortion notices to some officials, traders and other individuals in the Dhubri district recently. The Executive Engineer of District Rural Development Agency has received one such notice, asking him to contribute a sum of INR 1000000 to the outfit immediately. The notice was signed by Hira Sarania, the commander of the 709 battalion of the ULFA.

  According to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources, the ULFA ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Paresh Baruah last week reportedly met members of its armed wing and decided to intensify its offensive from July 27- the ‘martyrs’ day’ of the group - to August 15. The targets, according to the MHA sources, are the Marwari (the trading community) businessmen, army, police and paramilitary personnel, central government agencies and their employees. Baruah assigned the 27, 28, 709 and 109 battalions of the group to carry out the offensive with the tag that the common people should fall victims to the armed hostilities, sources added.

• July 22: SFs arrested one unidentified ULFA cadre from the weekly market at Barama in the Nalbari district and recovered three grenades from his possession.

• July 21: One unidentified ULFA militant is killed in an encounter with the SFs at Chaygaon area in the Kamrup district. One AK-47 rifle, two grenades, three magazines and some explosives are recovered from his possession.

  SFs neutralized one ULFA hideout inside the Abhaypur reserve forest of Sivasagar district. One universal machine gun (UMG), a carbine, three .303 rifles, a 12-bore gun, a 5-bore gun, a G3 rifle, a pistol, four grenade launchers, four improvised explosive devices, 121 rounds of UMG ammunition, 158 rounds of 12 bore gun and 32 rounds of G3 ammunition are recovered from the hideout.

• July 20: Five civilians, including a four-year-old child, are killed and 18 others injured when suspected ULFA and KLO militants triggered a powerful bomb at Srirampur Chariali under Tamarhat police station in the Kokrajhar district. Four of the deceased were identified as Munna Shah, Abdul Mazid, Munmun Sheikh and Mangal Sheikh.

  The army arrested one woman, Ruzupi Borah, from Watai village under Pengeri Police Station in the Tinsukia district for her alleged link with the ULFA.

• July 19: Two cadres of the 28^th battalion of the ULFA, Polash Rajbonshi and Bhaskar Barua, are killed by SFs at Kailashpur Simaluguri village under Pengeri police station in the Tinsukia district. One AK 56 rifle, four magazines and some ammunition were recovered from their possession.

  SFs arrested two ULFA linkmen, Kamal Singh and Durgeswar Moran, along with two kilograms of explosives, fake currency of INR 500 denomination and two vehicles from an unspecified place in Tinsukia district. Sources said that the militants were planning to carry out subversive activities on the outfit’s ‘martyr’s day’ on July 27.

• July 13: Two ULFA cadres, including the bodyguard of ULFA’s ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Paresh Barua, surrendered at Gillapukhuri Army camp in the Tinsukia district along with one pistol, two magazines, two grenades, four detonators, explosive and ammunition of AK-47. They are identified as Babul Chetia alias Bijoy Singh and Biju Gogoi alias Rupantar Gogoi, who are trained in Myanmar.

• July 12: The abducted FCI official, P. C. Ram, is killed after being caught in an encounter between the SFs and a group of ULFA militants at Borka-Panitema village in the Kamrup district. The slain militants are identified as Rahul Deka alias Montu Gogoi alias Gautam Sarania, a ‘Sergeant Major’ of the ULFA’s 28^th battalion hailing from Nalbari district, and Bullet Sangma of Naokata under Goreswar town. Police seized two AK-56 rifles, a pistol, a grenade, an improvised explosive device and a huge amount of ammunition from the slain militants.

  SFs arrested three persons, including Shyamal Sarma, the secretary of the Darrang district unit of Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS), from Morajan under Rangiya town. Police also recovered five kilograms of RDX, eight grenades and eight programmable time device switches from them. They are arrested while ferrying the arms smuggled from Bangladesh meant to be used by the ULFA. Police said that Sarma’s arrest has depicted the involvement of MASS and other organizations - like the People’s Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam and the Asom Chatra Yuva Organisation - of having links with ULFA.

  Assam police recovered the dead body of a ULFA linkman, identified as Umesh Rajbongshi, from Dora Kohara area under Kamalpur police station in the Kamrup district. He had been hacked to death by some unidentified miscreants and his body is found dumped near the railway track at Dora Kohara. Assam Police recovered the dead body of a ULFA linkman, identified as Umesh Rajbongshi, from Dora Kohara area under Kamalpur police station in the Kamrup district. He had been hacked to death by some unidentified miscreants and his body found dumped near the railway track at Dora Kohara.

  Police arrested Kamini Deka, Chitra Deka and Srimati Deka, the daughters of Govinda Deka, a civilian who sheltered the abducted Food Corporation of India official P. C. Ram along with two ULFA militants at his home. Ram and the two militants were killed in crossfire between the police and ULFA militants in Deka’s home at Borka Panitema village in the Kamrup district.

• July 10: Two ULFA militants, including one identified as Samiran Barman alias Jiban Medhi of Baganpara village in Baksa district, are killed in an encounter with the SFs at Thankuchi village under Ghograpar Police Station in the Nalbari district. One AK-56 Rifle with 51 live ammunition and two magazines, one 9-mm revolver with six rounds of live ammunition and one magazine, three Chinese hand-grenades, 15 empty cartridges of AK-56 rifle, INR 5,000 in cash and a mobile phone handset are recovered from the slain militants.

• July 9: Army arrested Hemanto Sonowal, an ULFA linkman, from Talap area in the Tinsukia district.

• July 8: One ULFA cadre, identified as Pradeep Gogoi, is arrested from Pengree in the Tinsukia district along with a country-made pistol, reports Sentinel. Sources said that he was involved in the killing of a school teacher, Rohini Gogoi, on May 24.

• July 7: Suspected ULFA cadres abducted the owner of a grocery shop, identified as Phuleswar Moran, from his residence at Na-Mechekar village under Talap police outpost in the Tinsukia district and subsequently shot him dead. The bullet-riddled dead body of the victim is recovered from the Nameseka reserve forest.

  Police arrested one ULFA cadre, identified as Indra Gogoi, from Laipuli area in the Tinsukia district. One motorcycle and several SIM cards are seized from his possession. Sources said that he was trained in Myanmar and had sneaked into upper Assam with the intention of carrying out blasts.

  Based on Indra Gogoi’s information, police also arrested Bishwajeet Konwar, a suspected linkman of the ULFA, along with a pressure cooker, kept to be supplied to the militants to plant bomb.

• July 6: The SFs defused an IED, suspected to have been planted by the ULFA at Prakash Bazaar area under Tinsukia town in the Tinsukia district. Police arrested two persons in this connection.

  One ULFA cadre, Jayanta Deka alias Ajai Deka, surrendered to the SFs in a surrender ceremony in the Barpeta district. Deka had reportedly joined the outfit in 2001.

• July 3: Police arrested a ULFA militant, identified as Amrit Ranjan Dutta alias Mrityunjay Mahanta, from Charigaon area in the Jorhat district along with two bombs, weighing one kilogram each. Sources revealed that he was trained in Myanmar.

• July 1: Police arrested two ULFA cadres, Mrigen Das and Naba Deka, suspected to be involved in the June 23-Machkhowa bomb blast, from an unspecified location in the Guwahati city on July 1.

  Elsewhere in the Guwahati city, police arrested two suspected ULFA linkmen, identified as Majid Rahman and Tajkia Rahman.

• June 30: Four persons are killed and at least 40 others injured in four blasts – three in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district and one in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. The ULFA is suspected to have carried out these blasts. Three persons are killed in two successive blasts at a fish market and a textile market in the Tinsukia town. 12 persons are injured in another blast that occurred, almost simultaneously, in front of a cinema hall at Doomdooma town.

  The dead body of P. C. Ram, the Executive Director (North East) of the FCI, is found buried near the Mora-Pagladiya River in the Anandapur area under Borbori police station in the Baksa district. He is abducted by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) from Guwahati city on April 17.

• June 29: SFs arrested five hardcore ULFA militants and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Murkuchiapara village in the Baksa district. They were identified as Monu Das alias Jitu, an IED expert, Madan Rajbongshi, Pankaj Rajbongshi alias Bipul, Pradeep Barman and Harmohan Saud alias Bikash. Two foreign made pistols, one revolver, 12 rounds of pistol ammunition, 32 rounds of ammunition of AK-47 rifles, seven kilograms of explosives, four detonators, three Chinese-make grenades, four PTD and some discriminating documents are seized from their possession.

  The Army arrested Biren Bokolial, the Vice-President of Tingkhong Youth Congress, from his Bogasat resident in the Dibrugarh district for his alleged links with the ULFA. Biren has reportedly confessed to his active involvement in helping the ULFA in collecting extortion money from Rajgarh-Tingkhong area in the same district.

• June 26: A journalist, identified as Chandan Phukan, surrendered to the police following media reports about his involvement with the ULFA.

• June 25: Police sources confirmed that the explosive used by the suspected ULFA militants in the Guwahati blast on June 23 has been identified as a TNT device. An unnamed senior police officer said, "This finding has further strengthened our suspicions that ULFA is behind the explosion as the rebel outfit has used TNT in almost all the explosions it has carried out in the recent past." However, the ULFA spokesman and deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah has denied the outfit’s involvement in the explosion.

• June 23: Six persons, including three children, are killed and 14 others injured when suspected ULFA militants triggered an explosion in front of a mosque at Machkhowa in the Guwahati city. Five of the victims were identified as Rafique Ahmed and his 10-year-old son Safique, Hasan Ali (17), Sanjib Ali and Hanufa Khatun (3). Acting Director-General of Police, R.N. Mathur, told the media that the blast was caused by an IED. Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Rajen Singh told The Hindu that the modus operandi indicated the hand of the ULFA. Meanwhile, denying it’s involvement in the blast ULFA spokesman ‘Maj’ Raju Barua claimed, "The ULFA wants to make it clear that it has never been involved in killing innocent people and it is only a conspiracy hatched by vested interests to malign the outfit’s name."

  Police arrested four businessmen, Pradip Kumar Khandelia, Manik Chand Kedia, Radheshyam Sharma and Bikash Agarwalla, for their suspected links with the ULFA in the Sivasagar district.

• June 20: A group of top surrendered ULFA cadres asked the ULFA not to target its activists and warned them that they would compelled to take ‘appropriate position’ if they indulge in violence against them. The surrendered-ULFA men also asked the Government to provide adequate safety to them.

  Robin Dhekial Phukan, a local correspondent of the vernacular daily Asomiya Pratidin, and Lalan Moran, Assistant General Secretary of the Assam Students and Youth Forum, are arrested by the Assam Police from the Tinsukia district on charges of maintaining close links and working on behalf of the ULFA. The police alleged that both are involved in supplying mobile SIM cards to ULFA cadres operating in the eastern Assam districts. Police also alleged that Rabin was working in the garb of a journalist and was instrumental in facilitating the last ‘Raising Day’ function of the ULFA at Manabhum Forest in Arunachal Pradesh.

• June 19: Two CRPF personnel are killed and five other security force personnel injured in an ambush by suspected cadres of the ULFA and the KLNLF at Samelangshu area under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district. The militants ambushed the joint patrol of police and CRPF team led by the Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police.

  SFs arrested two militants of ULFA’s 27 battalion, Joni Pathak alias Tilak Boro and Krishna Borah, from the Nagaon district and claimed to have neutralized a plan to disrupt the Asian Grand Prix Games, which is scheduled to commence in Guwahati on June 23. SFs also seized 1.5 kg of explosives, two detonators and a battery with a timer from the arrested militants.