Incidents and Statements involving KLO: 2015

Date

Nature of incident

January 8

Dhubri

RPF claimed that the serial blasts from January 20 to 26 was a part of boycott announced against the celebration of Republic Day , by CorCom , KLO , ULFA-I and NDFB-IKS.

Assam DGP stated that ULFA-I has been carrying out subversive activities in upper Assam Districts with the help of KLO nad NSCN.

Five KLO militants, two of them carrying Rs 5 lakh reward, surrendered with arms in Kokrajhar District. One HK-33 rifle with magazine, 100 rounds of ammunition and two satellite phones. Those surrendered include the reward-carrying KLO activists were 'Assistant Organising Secretary' Hareswar alias Lal Deka alias Jayanta, and 'Commanding Officer' 'first battalion' Tiranga alias Ananth alias Birkhang, the other three were 'Assistant Finance Secretary' Panchanan alias Bikash and cadres Brajen Barman alias Rajani and Pradip Barman.

State's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rockybul Hussain informed that currently eight militant outfits were active in the State, including KLO.

Dispur

Panchayat & Rural Development Minister Rakibul Hussain informed the State Assembly that militant had killed 195 civilians and four police personnel in Assam during 2014.

Hussain informed the House that eight militant organizations are active in the state as on date -NDFB-IKS , ULFA-I, KPLT, KLO, HuM-Assam unit, MULTA, CPI-Maoist and JMB As many as 13 militant groups have declared Suspension of Operation which include NDFB-PTF, NDFB-RD, ULFA-PTF, AANLA etc. Among the eight active organizations, NDFB-IKS has about 250-270 cadres, followed by ULFA-I with 240 cadres and MULTA with 140 cadres. The remaining five outfits have cadre strength ranging from 70 to 20. As many as 6082 violent incidents have been perpetrated by these eight active outfits in the state since 1991 to present, of which ULFA has carried out highest 3632 incidents, followed by NDFB with 2231 incidents. As many as 2059 arms have been recovered from these eight outfits since 1991, of which 1376 belonged to ULFA and 561 to NDFB. No arms belonging to JMB have been recovered yet.

Hussain further informed that as many as 19, 939 leaders and cadres of these eight outfits have been arrested since 1991 till date, with the ULFA accounting for the highest number (14982) of arrests, followed by NDFB's 4059. No cadre or leader of HuM has been arrested yet.

Government has extended AFSPA to almost the entire State of Arunachal Pradesh, citing a serious law and order situation in all Districts of the State which border Assam. As per a new notification issued by UMHA on March 27 by its Joint Secretary Shambu Singh, all Districts of Arunachal Pradesh bordering the State of Assam have been declared as "disturbed area" under Section 3 of AFSPA for next one year.

The new notification says NDFB-IKS have now set up their General Headquarters and training camp in Taga, Myanmar and is reportedly contemplating to find out a new route for arms transshipment from Myanmar via Changlang District. The notification also adds that there is presence of NSCN-IM, NSCN-K, ULFA-I, KLO, MPLF along the Assam-Arunachal border and KYKL, PLA and KCP are helping NDFB-IKS, ULFA-I and KLO movement of men, material, infiltration and exfilaration.

The notification further adds that "The left-wing extremism is silently trying to infiltrate into the State as it is found to be mostly active in areas of Dhemaji and Tinsukia Districts in Assam bordering with the Lower Dibang and Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh."

Guwahati

CM Tarun Gogoi said the state is worried over the coming together of North East militant groups under one platform to launch attacks. He added that the Centre should take serious notice of this development. United Liberation Front of West South East Asia, the new militant platform, comprises the ULFA-I, NSCN-K, NDFB-IKS and KLO. These militant groups are based in Myanmar. NSCN-K 'chairman' SS Khaplang is the chief of this new platform.

NS

'commander-in-chief' of the ULFA-I Paresh Baruah, in a telephone conversation, with a northeast based journalist Rajeev Bhattacharya, stated that all "anti-India groups" would get together to form a 'government-in-exile'. Paresh Baruah when asked about his 'immediate plans' said, 'We will strike wherever and whenever possible. We also hope to be able to form a government-in-exile by the end of this year'.

The newly formed platform of four militant groups of the northeast, UNLFW, is out to prove a point to the Government of India by launching a series of attacks on SFs and the possibility of the ultras trying to launch such attacks in Assam cannot be ruled out. The Police and SFs have been put on high alert following the recent attacks and the Union Government has taken the recent incidents "very seriously". According to SF sources, with the formation of the new platform of NSCN-K, ULFA-I, the NDFB-IKS and the KLO, the outfits are desperate to prove their strength and the possibility of attacks cannot be ruled out.

The security establishment in Bengal is suspects that KLO 'chairman' Jibon Singh may have been killed in the Army operation in Myanmar on June 9. There are reports that three of the bodies that were brought back from the Myanmar encounter site were taken to Jorhat Medical College (Assam) for autopsy. One of them could be Jibon's, say sources, adding that DNA tests may be done to ascertain identity. According to sources, a police team, led by Kumargram Police Station In-Charge S G Wangdi, met Jibon's sister Sumitra Barman at her house in Sankosh, Alipurduar District.

The 'commander-in-chief' of the ULFA-I, Paresh Baruah alleged that the Government of India is trying to gauge the mood of the neighbouring countries including Myanmar with the propaganda of launching an attack against the rebels in foreign soil, reports The Assam Tribune. He also said attacks and counter-attacks would continue in a "conflict zone". Paresh Baruah claimed that they did not see any attack by the Indian Army in Myanmar and KLO chief Jiban Singha was safe. He alleged that by launching the propaganda of the attack, the Government of India tried to gauge the mood of the governments of the neighbouring countries.

Sonitpur

Defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Suneet Newton added that the arrested NDFB-IKS, Nijira Basumatary alias B. Nenai (24), was also spreading negative propaganda against the government and organised protests against the operations being carried out by SFs. She was also working as a courier and supplying ration in the jungles and was involved in the December 2014 Adivasis massacre. Lieutenant Colonel Suneet Newton further claimed that NDFB-IKS, ULFA-I and KLO cadres operating in lower Assam had launched a "propaganda" against the SFs.

Dhubri

A KLO militant, Lakhi Barman (28), surrendered before the Dhubri Superintendent of Police (SP) Mridulananda Sarma in Dhubri District. The surrendered rebel handed over one pistol, two grenades, five kilograms of explosives, two detonators along with huge quantity ammunition.

New Delhi

SFs arrested a KLO, identified as Ajay Barman alias Takla, at Jaldoba in Kokrajhar District.

Alipurduar/ West Bengal

KLO acts as a catalytic agent to help the NE based groups to get a foothold in Jaigaon town in the newly-formed Alipurduar District of West Bengal. The KLO has organised several meetings here between NE groups and Maoists from Nepal, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and even the ISI. The ISI is very much active just across the border in Phuentsholling, a sleepy town in Bhutan.

Kokrajhar

SFs arrested a cadre of KLO, identified as Sona Ram Roy (24) alias Landara, from Balagaon village under Kokrajhar Police Station in Kokrajhar District.

NS

An official stated that ULFA-I has teamed up with KLO and NDFB-IKS to carry out the attacks. An official stated that "While, normally the rebel groups are seen to target the period before or on Independence Day, this time they reportedly plan to strike even between 18 August and 25 August, if they fail on the eve of 15 August. The militants will try to take advantage of the relaxation of the security after Independence Day"

Rabha Para / Kokrajhar District

The Army foiled a terror attack bid in Assam with the killing of a suspected militant of the KLO in an encounter. The operation took place in the dense jungles of Rabha Para in Kokrajhar District after the army received a tip-off. According to reports, there were four militants, but only one of them was injured and later succumbed to his injuries. The body is yet to be identified. The militants were planning to plant a powerful IED on the Guwahati-Kokrajhar railway track to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations. An IED weighing around seven kilograms has been recovered, Police said.

Two persons, identified as Joti Prasad Roy alias Jone and Matleb Hussain alias Monowar Hussain were arrested by Assam Police for alleged offence of extortion in the name of KLO. According to Police sources INR 5 million was demanded from a businessman Arup Saha, a resident of Senpara of Dhubri town (Dhubri District) in the name of KLO.

Assam

The KLO threatened to "avenge" the killings of its leaders and cadres.