Arunachal Pradesh Timeline - 2005

January 24

The reports indicate that 300 ULFA cadres are taking shelter in the States of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, to enter Assam. Reports further said that the '28^th battalion' of the ULFA has been asked by the leadership to target the security outposts located in the remote areas of Assam and important installations in the run-up to January 26.

Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin rejected the Nagalim (Greater Nagaland) concept of the NSCN-IM and said, "territorial integrity of Arunachal Pradesh will be protected at any cost". He also said that "Not an inch of land shall be parted to the proposed 'Greater Nagalim' and the State Assembly had already adopted resolutions on several occasions to this effect".

Six ULFA cadres, including a woman 'sergeant major', were arrested by the Army personnel at Sesupani of Tinsukia District in Assam. According to official sources, the militants had entered Assam from the outfit's camp in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang District and had planned to kill a journalist and a member of the Asom Moran Sabha. Two hand grenades, one kilogram of RDX and two radio sets were recovered from their possession.

A trooper was killed and four others sustained injuries during an ambush by the ULFA at Borhat under Sonari sub-division of Sibsagar District in Assam, when the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were traveling in a convoy from Changlang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Kanubari in Sibsagar.

The NSCN-IM has threatened to pull out of the negotiations with the Union Government if the latter delays the integration of the Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast. Outfit's information and publicity secretary Akaho Assumi, said that it has objected to statements made by the Arunachal Pradesh Governor, S.K. Singh, who termed the outfit's plan of a Nagalim (Greater Nagaland) as a 'day dream'. Assumi claimed, "The Arunachal Pradesh Governor is speaking the language of right-wing Indians, which resulted in a confrontation for more than five decades."

Five United Socialist Council of Arunachal (USCA) militants were arrested by the Arunachal Pradesh Police from the capital Itanagar. Official sources said the outfit was recently formed with the active support of some other militant groups active in India's Northeast. One US-made assault rifle and one 9-mm carbine were recovered from their possession.

Two arrested cadres of the Nayanbashi Jamatia faction of the NLFT claimed that the outfit's chief has been taking shelter in an unspecified location in Arunachal Pradesh. The two cadres, identified as Ashok Debbarma and Sanjit Debbarma were arrested from Dhalai District in Tripura.

The NSCN-K claimed of killing four NSCN-IM cadres and recovered six weapons, including AK rifles and M-16 rifles, from Tuensang District in Nagaland and Tirap District in Arunachal Pradesh.

A NSCN-K cadre surrendered before the Assam Rifles at Khonsa in the Tirap District along with a Chinese made pistol.

Three ULFA cadres were killed and another sustained injury in an encounter with the Army personnel between Jagun and Jairampur of Sibsagar District in Assam, when a group of 25 militants, recently trained in Myanmar, was trying to enter Assam through the neighbouring State of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Arunachal Pradesh Police foiled a conspiracy to assassinate Chief Minister Gegong Apang in a grenade attack on August 15. Disclosing this at a press conference in the capital Itanagar, Apang stated that five persons have been arrested in this connection.

The Chief Minister also said that a Policeman was also found to be involved in the conspiracy. Apang informed that the police came to know about the plot by intercepting telephonic conversations among cadres belonging to the NLFA. They had planned to launch a grenade attack during his travel from his residence to Indira Gandhi Park to unfurl the national flag on the Independence Day on August 15, he said.

The NLFA has denied any attempt on its part to kill Arunachal Pradesh Police foiled a conspiracy to assassinate Chief Minister Gegong Apang. A release issued by NLFA 'publicity secretary', B. Dollung, in Kohima in Nagaland, objected to Apang's statement, which blamed the NLFA for the incident.

A NSCN-IM cadre was killed during a recent encounter with security forces at Banting in the Tirap District. One 9-mm pistol was recovered from the incident site.

A ULFA militant, identified as 'area commander' Ritu Bora, was killed in an operation by the SFs in the Paglam region of Lohit District. A Police constable, identified as Mandip Misra, is also reported to have died in this incident. A ULFA linkman was arrested during the operation.

SFs launched an anti-insurgency operation, targeting about 80 ULFA cadres, believed to be holed up inside the deep jungles of Lower Dibang Valley and East Siang Districts. The operation was launched following a recent high-level meeting held at the divisional headquarters of the Army's 2 Mountain Division. Col A.K. Singh, Commanding Officer of 5 Madras Regiment said, "This is the very initial part of the operation and, therefore, we are not in a position to say more on it."

Five ULFA militants, four of whom were identified as Babu Bora, Pituleshwar Bora, Nabin and Subhas Mili, were arrested from Paglam Ghat in Dibang Valley. One trooper was injured in the encounter which preceded the arrests.

A suspected ULFA cadre, Rajiv Moran, was arrested and one Arunachal Pradesh Policeman, Randeep Mishra, was injured at an unspecified location. Reports indicate that an operation codenamed 'Operation Flush out' against the ULFA in the Dibang Valley, Lohit, Changlang and Tirap Districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Tinsukia District of Assam has been intensified.

Two NSCN-IM militants surrendered at Khonsa in Tirap District in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Talem Tapok, officiating Superintendent of Police Manik Gogoi and Assam Rifles personnel. The surrendered militants also deposited a vintage assault rifle, 7.62 SLR with magazine and ammunition.