January 1

Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, announces a safe-passage offer for all the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres from January 7 to 20.

ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa rules out holding direct peace talks with New Delhi unless the Government released some of their senior jailed leaders. He said, “A large number of our central executive committee leaders are currently in jail. We cannot take a final decision on holding talks with the government in the absence of majority of our senior leaders who are imprisoned.”

January 2

ULFA ‘chairman’, Arabinda Rajkhowa, in the outfit’s mouthpiece Freedom, reacting to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s announcement of a safe passage for the outfit’s cadres during the Bihu festivities said that the Union Government is playing a ‘dangerous game’ by “talking of peace and unleashing the armed forces on its unsuspecting cadre at the same time”.

January 9

‘Publicity secretary' of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), Tongeeh Nongloda, is arrested from Dilai in the Karbi Anglong district for reportedly carrying one 9mm pistol.

January 11

Karbi Anglong district police releases arrested UPDS 'publicity secretary', Tongeeh Nongloda, and two other cadres.

January 12

Suspected ULFA cadres attack a Royal Bhutanese Army (RBA) patrol and kill an army guide near village Gerwa in the southern district of Samdrup Jongkhar of Bhutan bordering Assam.

January 15

Oil and Natural Gas Commission intimates the State Government of an extortion letter served by the 28th battalion of the ULFA on its corporate office at Nazira in the Sibsagar district demanding Rupees 5000 million.

The ULFA, in a statement says, “The outfit expects sincere interest and commitment from the Government of India for establishing lasting peace in Assam instead of any enticement of safe passage or general amnesty. The puppet Assam Government is trying to grasp political advantage by selling old wine in new bottles by sidetracking the core demand for the peace process."

January 16

A ULFA militant is killed in an encounter with the police at Santipur in the Tinsukia district.

Hindi-speaking villagers, under the banner of the Assam Bhojpuri Yuba Chhatra Parishad, seek protection of the State Government from the extortion drive by the NDFB militants who allegedly had distributed demand notes, ranging from Rupees 30,000 to Rupees 50,000, signed by a self-styled "collection-in-charge" Lt. D. Dethsrang, along the border of Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts.

January 17

The UPDS decides to drop the autonomous statehood demand in exchange for additional financial, legal and political powers to the existing autonomous council. The outfit’s ‘general secretary’ Saiding Eh states that the outfit would seek direct funding from all the Union Ministries and non-interference of the State Government in the council’s activities during the next round of talks with the Union Government slated for the January 2006.

Assam Government entrusts Inspector general of Police (IGP-Special Branch) Khagen Sarma to verify the authenticity of the ULFA extortion note served on the ONGC.

January 18

All Adivasi National Liberation Army militants kill a civilian, Keshob Rana, of Kachamari Hridimbapur village under Merapani police station in the Golaghat district.

Assam Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) Khagen Sarma confirms that the extortion letter demanding Rupees 5000 million from the ONGC was served by the ULFA.

ULFA backed People’s Consultative Group (PCG) expresses disappointment over the lack of momentum in the peace process to bring the outfit to the negotiation table.

January 20

Ten persons, including eight CISF personnel, are injured in an ULFA triggered grenade attack at the entrance of the Guwahati Refinery at Noonmati in Guwahati city.

Writer Indira Goswami, who has been facilitating talks between the ULFA and the Union Government says, "The government is likely to give the date for the meeting within two days. We are hopeful about the process being taken to its logical conclusion." She further said, "ULFA is upset over the delay. But we will continue to make efforts."

January 21

A trader, Iswar Chand Jain, is shot dead by ULFA cadres at Sonari in the Sivasagar district.

ULFA cadres trigger a blast on pipelines of the Oil India Ltd inside Rangali Reserve Forest under Kakatibari police station in the Sivasagar district. Superintendent of Police Bishnu Ram Medhi informs that the explosions have damaged a 400-foot pipeline, besides a gas pipeline running parallel to the crude oil line causing a gas leak. The ULFA have set off explosions at the main gate of oil refinery at Guwahati a day earlier.

The DHD chairman Dilip Nunisa says that MHA officials have confirmed January 31 as the date for another round of dialogue between the Union Government and the outfit to be held in New Delhi. The previous round of dialogue between a DHD delegation and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has been held in New Delhi during June 2005.

The ULFA militants blow up a NEEPCO power tower at Bhoju in the Sibsagar district. ULFA militants blow up a transformer at Konwar Gaon near Lakhimpur. Another transformer is blown up at Hindugaon Tiniali injuring three SF personnel. Another gas pipeline is blown up by militants at Mahmora Silgrant, under Namrup police station, in the Dibrugarh district.

January 22

A petrol pump owner is shot dead by suspected ULFA cadres at Sadiya township in the Tinsukia district.

A gas pipeline is blown up by the ULFA near Bherbheri under Bordubi police station. Suspected ULFA cadres also lob a grenade targeting SFs near Gauhati Commerce College in the Guwahati city injuring five SF personnel. Within minutes, another grenade is hurled in front of the Assam Police Reserve at AT Road in the city killing a civilian. Fifteen minutes later, militants detonate an IED, planted in a requisitioned bus, injuring three police personnel.

One police personnel, Sanjay Verma, is killed and five others sustain injuries in an encounter with ULFA cadres at Ewarlangtha Gorgaon along the Assam-Nagaland border in the Golaghat district.

Suspected ULFA militants trigger a blast in the precincts of the Assam State Transport Corporation building in Jorhat injuring a civilian. Elsewhere, gas pipelines at Chetiapathar under Chabua police station and Bokulia Chariali under Duliajan police station are blown up, causing no casualty. Another gas pipeline, running through Lengri tea estate under Tengakhat police station in the Dibrugarh district, is also blown up by the ULFA.

January 23

A grenade is exploded by ULFA cadres near the nail factory at Bengenakhowa. Another hand grenade is exploded by the outfit at Mayong police station in the Morigaon district. A bomb is detonated by ULFA cadres at Doomdooma circle office in the Tinsukia district damaging a portion of the building. An IOC pipeline is also blown up by the outfit in Tingri Bongaon under Digboi police station. The second round of talks between the ULFA-backed PCG and the Union Government is to be held on February 7. Writer Indira Goswami, a member of the PCG, said, "National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan informed me today that the talks with the PCG will be held on February 7 and modalities for the parleys will be decided later on."

January 24

A suspected ULFA militant is killed and three others are injured in an explosion in the Ganeshguri locality of Guwahati city. Police sources said that the ULFA militant, Munin Das hailing from Ghograpar in the Nalbari district, was carrying the explosive and traveling on foot to avoid the intensified checking of vehicles by the security forces.

A bomb is exploded at Demow Chariali in the Sibsagar district injuring three police personnel. Another blast is triggered at Japidhara under Kakotibari police station in the same district without causing any casualty.

January 25

Assam Governor Ajay Singh says that the ULFA must first surrender arms and come to the mainstream, and only then negotiations could follow. "They would be rehabilitated once they lay down their arms," Singh said adding: "A militant by taking up arms against the State has gone against the law, and so he must be treated in the line of law; he must be brought to book. So the question of negotiation does not arise unless the militants surrender their arms."

The UPDS 'Publicity Secretary' Tong-Eeh-Nongloda says that the outfit is hopeful of a fruitful outcome from its fifth round of talks with the Union and the State Government at New Delhi on January 31. Nongloda also blames d the State Government’s lackadaisical attitude in fulfilling its demand and says, "Therefore, the talks may not yield any good results."

January 27

The Assam Government says that it is ready to release the imprisoned ULFA cadres on parole if the proscribed group sits for direct talks with the Union Government with or without accompanied by the PCG.

The PCG says that its ongoing negotiations with the Union Government may breakdown if the Government does not come up with a positive response regarding the release of the jailed and missing ULFA leaders during the second round of talks scheduled for February 7. PCG member Lachit Bordoloi says, "We are expecting the Government to make its stand clear during the second round of talks."

Following militant attacks on oil installations in the recent times, oil companies and the Assam Government revive a year 2003 proposal to raise an exclusive security force to guard the vast network of pipelines and installations across the State. Officials of oil companies are scheduled to meet Government representatives on February 3 to work out the modalities of raising the force, which is to be drawn from the Assam Tea Plantation Security Force.

January 28

Army personnel begin an operation targeting the ULFA militants at Jeraigaon, native village of the outfit’s 'commander-in-chief', Paresh Barua in the Tinsukia district.

Army personnel, at the request of the district administration, also take over the task of providing security to the ONGC installation, assets and pipelines in the Sibsagar district.

February 1

The Army calls off operations targeting the ULFA in the outfit’s chief Paresh Baruah’s native village, Jeraigaon, in the Dibrugarh district following demands by the villagers. However, army authorities maintain that the operation is “routine in nature” and is called off only because “the security think tank felt it had served its purpose”. Residents of the village on January 31 are reported to have blocked National Highway 37 and the adjacent rail track and have forced the army to hand over two arrested youths, one of them the brother of an ULFA cadre, to the police.

Assam Governor, Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh appeals to the ULFA to come for direct talks with the Government to expedite the peace process. In his speech to the State Legislative Assembly, the Governor describes formation of PCG by the ULFA for talks with the Government as a welcome step.

The ULFA make it clear that it is not in favour of holding any secret talks with the Government of India. In the recent issue of its mouthpiece, Freedom, the outfit says that it is keen on holding talks at UN platform in front of the entire world. It expresses its doubts on Government’s sincerity on the issue of talks and alleges that a conspiracy is hatched to invite only a small group of the PCG for talks. It further adds that the guns of the outfit will become silent only when the conflict between India and Assam head towards a political solution.

February 6

Assam Minister of State for Home, Rockybul Hussain, informs the Legislative Assembly that the Centre and State Government are of the view that the Government and the ULFA should come into an agreement to suspend operations simultaneously to create a congenial atmosphere for talks. Hussain says that operations by the security forces targeting the ULFA will be stopped once such an agreement for suspension of operations is signed. The Minister adds that since the first meeting with the PCG, as many as 70 subversive activities have taken place in the State and public properties worth Rs 95,70,300 are damaged. He says that during the period, four Army personnel, 12 civilians and 12 militants were killed. During the same period, 13 ULFA militants and three militants of the MULTA have surrendered.

February 7

The Union Government and the PCG agrees, during a meeting at New Delhi, on a series of CBMs to bring the ULFA to the negotiation table. A joint statement declares that the Government of India has agreed to examine and initiate a series of CBMs with regard to human rights violations and to examine the release of detained ULFA leaders in consultation with the State Government. PCG member Arup Borbora says, "We discussed with the government representatives all the issues in a positive atmosphere. We want to pave the way to bring both sides to the negotiating table."

The NDFB refuses to begin peace talks unless the Union Government provides information about the whereabouts of seven senior members missing during Operation All Clear in Bhutan in December 2003. The outfit’s 'commander-in-chief' Ranjan Daimary alias D.R. Nabla says, "Delhi has to prove its sincerity by providing information on the seven leaders". The missing militants include the outfit’s 'publicity secretary' B. Erakdao, B. Habrang, B. Fwjoukhang, Jwkhrub, Derhasa, Onsula and Udla.

February 10

Eight civilians and one SF personnel are killed during clashes between the villagers and SFs following the alleged custodial death of a suspected United ULFA militant at Kakopathar in upper Assam's Tinsukia district. The ULFA cadre, whom the villagers described as a civilian, was detained by the army on February 6 and his dead body is subsequently recovered.

February 11

The representatives of the ULFA-supported PCG threaten to pull out of the peace talks with the Union Government protesting against the killing of civilians. “We have told the Indian government in clear terms that we will pull out of the talks if security forces continue with their operations resulting in excesses on the common people," Dilip Patgiri, a senior PCG member says.

February 13

Normal life was affected in Assam following a 12-hour bandh (general strike) called by the ULFA to protest against the killing of nine persons in police firing and death of Ajit Mahanta in Army custody at Kakopathar in the Tinsukia district.

February 14

Suspected BNLF cadres from the Cachar district abduct three truck drivers.

February 17

KLNLF releases three hostages, R.K. Chaudhury, Ramen Das and Bimal Das, it has been holding since January 22, somewhere near the Kaziranga National Park.

February 21

Armed ULFA cadres assault four villagers and abduct an Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) activist, Brikudhar Doley, from his residence at Kemi-Jelom village under Poba Reserve Forest in the Dhemaji district recently.

February 22

Assam Government urges the Defence Ministry to restrain the Army from operating against the ULFA and to take along civil administration officials while conducting operations in the State.

February 23

A school-teacher is killed in an exchange of fire between cadres of the HPC-D and DHD in the North Cachar Hills district.

February 28

Suspected ULFA cadres trigger a blast at the BG Yard near Bamunimaidan in Guwahati city killing one civilian and injuring five others, including a woman. The blast, reportedly caused by a timed explosive device, occurs near the open shed in the railway unloading area.

March 7

Mediator Indira Goswami said that the third round of talks between the ULFA-constituted People’s Consultative Group and the Union Government would be held only after the legislative assembly elections in Assam slated for April 3 and 10.

March 9

The Guwahati police put several businessmen in the city under their scanner accusing them of contributing huge amounts to the ULFA though electronic money transfer facility.

March 16

Ten armed cadres of the Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front comprising landless Reang tribals and suspected Bangladeshi nationals attack a village in the Hailakandi district of Assam along the Mizoram border looting Rupees 17,000 from a trader, Abdul Manaf, and injuring a villager, Lalu Mian.

March 17

A SULFA cadre, identified as Binod Baishya alias Jit Kalita, is shot dead by suspected ULFA militants at Ghograpar in the Nalbari district.

March 18

A woman, identified as S. Begum, is killed and 10 persons are injured in a ULFA triggered bomb blast near the railway track at the Bamunimaidan rail yard in Guwahati.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that infiltration from Bangladesh has gone down significantly in the past four years. He also denied knowledge of a statement made by the Union Minister of State for Home, S. Reghupathy, in the Lower House of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in December 2005 that over 38,000 Bangladeshi infiltrators had been deported from Assam in 2004.

March 21

Nine Bangladeshi infiltrators are arrested from Guwahati.

March 28

The North Cachar Hills district police recover three rocket launcher shells, two pistols, nine magazines, one revolver and an unspecified amount of ammunition from a married couple, Afhringdaw and Dipali Warisa, linked to the Jewel Garlossa faction of the DHD.

March 29

The police recover four grenades, an AK series rifle, 30 rounds of live ammunition, a magazine, a 9-V battery, some electronic gadgets and incriminating documents following an encounter with suspected ULFA militants at Satakona under Dudhnoi police station in the Goalpara district.

March 30

DHD militants belonging to the Jewel Garlossa faction kill a worker engaged by a railway contractor and injure another at Retzole in the North Cachar Hills district.

March 31

Three ULFA cadres and one from the KLNLF surrender to the army at Diphu in the Karbi Anglong district along with an AK 47 rifle, two magazines, 67 rounds of cartridges, four hand grenades, one country-made revolver, one grenade and some detonators.

The ULFA chief, Arabinda Rajkhowa, says, “The people should only vote for politics that would ensure sovereignty for Asom.”

April 1

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the process initiated by the Union Government to restore peace in Assam would be expedited, but rules out talks with the ULFA on the "sovereignty" issue.

April 4

A ULFA militant, Bhubaneswar Haloi, surrenders before the army personnel near Bihuguri in the Sonitpur district.

April 7

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, in his speech on the occasion of the outfit's '27th raising day', says that groups with "vested interests" are trying to scuttle the peace process by killing its cadres, hoping this will provoke it to walk out of the peace process. He further says that ULFA's decision not to disrupt the polls must not be construed as an acceptance of the electoral process. "As long as these elections are held, Assam will remain suppressed under Indian colonial rule", he said.

April 8

CRPF personnel arrest a retired constable of the 7th Nagaland Armed Police Battalion, identified as Ezathung Lotha, and recover 30 kilograms of RDX, 200 detonators and 200 metres of corbex wire from at Khatkhati under Bokajan police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

April 10

The UPDS 'defence secretary', Thong Teron, is killed at Satgaon under the Dongkamokam police outpost in the Karbi Anglong district by the security personnel of Sing Teron, an executive member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, during an exchange of fire. Subsequently, the UPDS militants killed two persons in retaliation in the Tongkory area of the district.

April 21

Unidentified assailants killed two surrendered ULFA militants, Lolit Moran and his wife Momi Moran, at Gotong village under Doomdooma police station in the Tinsukia district.

April 22

Eight NDFB cadres, who were arrested from Guwahati in the Kamrup district, confessed during interrogation of their involvement in extortion from the State officials.

April 24

The Jorhat district administration decides to evict from New Chungtia at the Desoi Valley reserve forest a fuel depot that is reportedly set up by Nagaland Government.

The Public Works Department chief engineer, Suren Das, who was abducted and later released by the ULFA, is in a stage of coma due to cerebral malaria. Das has started suffering from cerebral malaria while in captivity.

April 25

A NDFB cadre, B Daithan, is killed and five other militants are wounded at Sapatgram in the Dhubri district of lower Assam, when the police retaliated against militants who were enforcing closure of shops and other business establishments in the area. The outfit had called for a general strike in protest against the alleged ‘violation of ceasefire rules’ by the State Government.

Villagers at Pulia Basti under Diphu police station in the Karbi Anglong district lynch a cadre of the little known outfit, Karbi People’s Liberation Front, identified as Amrit Teron, trying to extort ransom, to death. Three of his accomplices were wounded.

April 28

The ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ of the DHD, identified as Naizing Daulagapu, is shot at and wounded by suspected militants belonging to the breakaway faction of the outfit led by Jewel Garlosa at Upper Dibbarai under Haflong police station in the North Cachar Hills district.

The Union Government asks the Supreme Court for Special Tribunals in Assam for detection and deportation of foreigners in view of difficulties faced in identifying the illegal immigrants due to their ethnic similarities with Bengali speaking Indians.

May 1

An Assam Police personnel, Lance Naik Pulin Bora, is killed in an explosion triggered by suspected militants at his residence in Kamargaon under Dergaon police station of the Golaghat district.

May 2

An unidentified ULFA leader along with two Delhi-based sex workers, who were arrested from Guwahati in the Kamrup district, are remanded to ten days of police custody by a local court.

May 6

The NDFB threatens that it will indulge in violence if the Union Government fails to start talks with the outfit by May 31. The tripartite cease-fire agreement that has been signed between the Union Government, Assam Government and the outfit in New Delhi on May 25, 2005, is to lapse on May 31, 2006.

May 8

The third phase of recruitment for rehabilitation of the surrendered Bodo militants begins at CRPF camp in Salakata of the Kokrajhar district.

May 9

Two security force (SF) personnel, Rubul Ali and Dhruba Borsaikia, are killed in an ambush by the ULFA near the Borahibari railway station in the Sivasagar district. Five persons, including the former State Transport Minister and senior AGP leader Pradip Hazarika, are wounded in the attack. Hazarika has figured in ULFA's list of 'conspirators' in the 'secret killings', the outfit recently claims, that has taken place during the AGP regime. Twenty five empty shells of AK-47 ammunition are recovered from the incident site.

The NDFB says peace talks cannot take place unless the Union Government provides information about the Bodo militants who have gone missing since 2003-counter insurgency operation by the Bhutan Government.

May 10

Two KLNLF cadres, 'corporal' Kolam Sing Engti and Babu Ram Teron, surrender at Diphu, headquarters of the Karbi Anglong district. They also deposited two 9 mm pistols and four rounds of ammunition. According to sources, the KLNLF, which has been set up in 1999 following the split in UPDS, has as many as 60 cadres currently.

Five ULFA cadres, 'sergeant major' Jagadish Mahanta alias Rajesh Sarma, 'corporal' Ameer Hussain alias Raj Ahmed, Pradeep K. Barman alias Control, Dinesh Sarkar alias Mithun and Purno Roy alias Purni, surrender before Colonel M.K. Das and Additional Superintendent of Police Umar Ali at Dhubri district. They deposit an AK-47 rifle, three 9 mm revolvers and 45 rounds of ammunition.

May 14

An ULFA cadre, 'corporal' Puspa Borah alias Sanchar Chetia, who had surrendered along with a pistol, two magazines, 16 rounds of ammunition and a Chinese hand grenade, before the Superintendent of Police of the Udalguri district on May 13, is found dead inside the lock-up of the district police station. According to police sources, Puspa committed suicide.

May 18

The Union Government confirms that the outlawed ULFA has sent to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation a demand note of Rupees Five billion. The Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dinsha Patel, said in the Parliament that there have been four disruptive incidents by the ULFA resulting in minor damage to the property of ONGC in the recent past.

May 21

The 'commander-in-chief' of the Indian Tiger Force, Jalaluddin Mazumdar, escapes from police custody at a place in the Cachar district, while the security convoy carrying him is attacked by villagers. He was reportedly arrested following the surrender, on the same day, of four cadres of his outfit, identified as Bhutto, Nizamuddin, Nazmul Hossain and Rajivuddin Laskar.

May 22

The dead body of a villager, Babul Kalita, suspected to have been killed by the NDFB, is recovered by police from Daudwigami under Harisingha police outpost in the Udalguri district.

May 27

The first round of talks between the Union Government and NDFB is held in New Delhi. Both agree to extend their cease-fire that was signed on May 25, 2005.

May 29

Five security force (SF) personnel, who were abducted by suspected NDFB cadres on May 21 from the Udalguri district of Assam, are found dead at Belsiri Nala under Bhairabkunda police outpost in the dense jungle of West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam and Bhutan. A civilian, Babul Kalita, who was also abducted along with the SF personnel, was found dead on May 22.

May 30

Assam Police summons the NDFB cadres for interrogation following an investigation indicating their involvement in the abduction and subsequent killing of five security force (SF) personnel. The five SF personnel were reportedly abducted from Udalguri district of Assam on May 21, and were later found dead in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on May 29.

May 31

The NSCN-IM, which demanded ransom from at least 28 non-Naga businessmen from areas of A, B and C sectors under Dhansiri subdivision in the Golaghat district along Assam-Nagaland border, has threatened to kill the general secretary of the All Bodo Students Union, Pitambor Brahma, following his complaint against the outfit 'issuing' such extortion notice.

June 1

The Union Government warns to scrap the extension of cease-fire with the NDFB following its suspected involvement in the abduction and subsequent killing of six persons including five SF personnel, along the India-Bhutan border.

June 5

The ULFA cadres, while targeting a SULFA cadre, Narayan Das, shot dead another civilian, Dilip Das, at Sonapur Chowk under Kamalpur police station in the Kamrup (rural) district.

June 7

An unidentified NSCN-IM cadre is killed in an encounter with the Central Reserve Police Force personnel near Asalu under Maibong police station in the North Cachar Hills district. The encounter follows abduction of four Dimasa youths and their subsequent release at the intervention of Zemi Naga villagers.

The tripartite accord review meeting between the Union and Assam Governments and the Bodo Territorial Council is held in New Delhi.

June 8

The ULFA triggers a series of grenade explosions, while targeting SF personnel, at various parts of the State leaving at least 25 persons wounded. While six persons are injured in a blast at Haiborgaon in the Nagaon district, another is injured when militants trigger a blast at Islampur Chowk in the Mangaldoi district.

June 9

At least five persons, including a 10-year-old boy and a woman, are killed and 16 persons wounded in a powerful explosion triggered by the ULFA at Machkowa vegetable market in the Guwahati city of Kamrup district.

June 10

Suspected ULFA militants trigger two blasts in the Guwahati city killing one person and injuring 19 others.

The ULFA denies its hand in the six bomb blasts in which civilians are injured, but owns up three blasts on the oil and gas pipelines at Naharkatia, Digboi and Chabua.

June 11

A security force personnel, identified as Bircharan Singh, who was among the three injured in the grenade attack on a patrolling vehicle at Makum in the Tinsukia district, succumbs to his injuries.

Suspected ULFA cadres blow up a railway track between Borhat and Baruahnagar railway stations in the Sibsagar district. Rail links between Upper Assam and the rest of the country are snapped for several hours following the blast.

June 12

Suspected militants trigger a powerful time device killing one person, identified as Shiv Shankar Verma, and injuring 11 others at Bazaar Chariali in Digboi of Tinsukia district.

Another bomb is triggered near an Army camp on the National Highway 31 at Taraibari in the Goalpara district.

Indira Goswami, the negotiator representing the ULFA-backed PCG, cautions that the violence will derail the ongoing peace process.

June 13

A ULFA cadre, Phulen Nath alias Kamal Barman alias Pintu Das, is killed in an encounter with the police at Kamalnagar atop Narakasur Hill under Dispur police station in the Kamrup district. According to police sources, the slain militant is involved in the June-9 blast at Machkhowa in the Guwahati city in which five persons died.

Assam's Director General of Police D. N. Dutt confirms that the ULFA is involved in all the recent blasts in the State, following the denial of the outfit of its involvement.

June 14

A civilian, Monoj Gogoi, who was wounded in the June 12 blast triggered by the ULFA at Digboi town in the Tinsukia district, succumbs to his injuries.

June 15

The Bokajan police recover from an interior village in the Karbi Anglong district the dead body of a KLNLF cadre, Mirjeng Teron alias Bhupen Teron, who was abducted by at least six UPDS militants from his residence at Japarajan.

Assam Police says that following the formation of the ULFA - backed People's Consultative Group on September 8 in 2005, the ULFA militants have triggered off as many as 52 blasts, majority of those were in late January and early part of February and again from June 8 to 12 in 2006. The reports further say that at least 41 civilians are killed and 135 are injured in ULFA's violence since September 8, 2005. During the same period, the outfit attacked the security force personnel on 15 occasions in which six are killed, while 41 are injured. During the same period, the security forces engaged in encounters with the ULFA cadres on 20 occasions, in which 21 militants are killed and 48 are arrested. The sources further pointed out that in the first five and half months of 2006, as many as 29 civilians are killed, as compared to the death of 20 civilians and injury of 78 in 2005. The fatality figure among the security personnel in ULFA's violence in 2005 is six.

Two HNLC cadres, Minit Lang and Tensing Khngla, are arrested by the BSF personnel near Makamtilla under Patherkandi block in the Karimganj district while crossing the India-Bangladesh border.

June 16

A frontal organization of the ULFA, Assam Watch, is reportedly operating in the United Kingdom. Mukul Hazarika is the co-ordinator of the Assam Watch.

The International Federation of Journalists condemns the ULFA for issuing threats against Assam's media persons and supports the subsequent calls made by the latter for their rights to freedom of expression.

June 18

The dead bodies of three unidentified persons, belonging to Zemi Naga tribe, who were abducted on May 8 from Fiding village under Mahur police station in the North Cachar Hills district, are recovered after a month at an unspecified place near a rail track.

June 19

Two suspected HNLC cadres, Minot and Tensing, are arrested at an unspecified place under Halidayganj police station in the Dhubri district along the India-Bangladesh border, while infiltrating.

june 20

The Zemi Students Union, Asom (ZSU-A) accuses and condemns the Dilip Nunisa faction of the DHD for its involvement in the May 8 abduction and subsequent killing of three Zemi Naga youths in the North Cachar Hills district.

The Union Home Secretary V. K. Duggal, responding to the Assam Government’s recommendation for the release of three arrested ULFA leaders, rules out any unilateral action by the Union Government before the next round of talks with the ULFA backed- People’s Consultative Group scheduled to be held on June 22 in New Delhi.

A student of the Guwahati University, Rinku Basumatary, wounded in the June 9 ULFA triggered explosion at Machkhowa in Guwahati city, succumbs to his injuries.

The civilians in the Daranga area of Baska district capture two NDFB extortionists. However, three local businessmen are also wounded by the militants in the incident. A branch of the State Bank of India in the same locality is closed down following the threat of the NDFB to pay extortion money of Rupees 500000.

Two NDFB cadres, while extorting from a businessman, are killed in an encounter with SF personnel at an unspecified place under Dokmoka police outpost in the Karbi Anglong district.

June 28

A heavy exchange of fire between the BSF personnel and its counterpart in Bangladesh, the BDR, is reported at Harinagar sector in the Cachar district, following the encroachment and subsequent cultivation of paddy over 3,000 square feet land, belonging to the Indian territory and lying across the river Surma, a tributary of the river Barak, by Bangladeshi nationals with the protection of the BDR.

The ULFA expresses its willingness to hold ‘direct talks’ with the Union Government at the earliest.

A trader, Jagannath Prasad, is killed, and at least 18 persons are wounded in a grenade explosion triggered by DHD cadres belonging to Jewel Garlossa faction at a market place in Haflong town of North Cachar Hills district.

The Union Government sanctions construction of a new fencing in a stretch of 76 kilometers along the international border between India and Bangladesh running though Assam.

The ULFA serves an extortion note of Rupees 150 milion to the Regional Director of the Reserve Bank of India in Guwahati.

Suspected NDFB militants kill two cadres of the erstwhile Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), identified as Thanderu Basumatary alias Hargila and Bijoy Basumatary, at Langhing in the Karbi Anglong district.

The Ramanugger tea estate in Karbi Anglong district is closed down following abduction of its assistant manager, N. Bora, from his residence by unidentified militants.

At least a thousand people belonging to different communities demonstrate in protest against the July 5 killing of two cadres of the erstwhile Bodo Liberation Tigers by the NDFB militants, in the Bodo-dominated north western areas of Karbi Anglong district.

Police arrests two ULFA cadres, Mantu Bezbarua and Gautam Sarania alias Rahul Deka, and a linkman of the outfit from Birubari locality of the Guwahati city in connection with the outfit’s extortion demand of INR 15 Lakhs on the Reserve Bank of India regional director Amarendra Sahu.

The Union Government refuses to accede to the demand of the ULFA to release five of its jailed leaders before direct talks with the Government can begin.

Two ULFA cadres, Pradip Rajbangshi and Mrinal Rajbangshi, are killed in an encounter with the SFs at Baglamari village in the Nalbari district.

Assam Government identifies 7,248 foreign nationals between 2001 and March 31, 2006 and of them 74 are deported, says Assam Accord Implementation Minister Bhumidhar Barman in the Legislative Assembly.

Assam Government says political dialogue between the ULFA and the Union Government will become a reality after the outfit nominates its team for negotiations.

The Union Ministry of External Affairs decides, in view of the security threat, to scrap the India-Bangladesh passport scheme giving special documents to residents of the North Eastern States to travel Bangladesh.

A ULFA cadre, Pradip Das, is arrested from Hatigaon area in Guwahati city. Several incriminating documents and six batteries used in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are recovered from his possession.

The AASU, while demanding stern action against the Islamist fundamentalist organisations spreading terror in Assam, says that at least 14 fundamentalist outfits are actively involved in anti-national activities in the State.

The Union Government warns Assam Government about possible attacks by the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in the State. According to intelligence sources, these two outfits are planning to trigger serial blasts, like Mumbai, at railway station platforms, trains or railway tracks on July 22 and 23.

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

The Union Government asks the ULFA to establish direct contact with the Government without which, it says, there will be no scope for the proposed peace process to move forward.

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

Assam Government accuses Bangladesh of grabbing land in at least two districts in the State. Revenue Minister, Bhumidhar Barman, while responding to a question on this issue in the Legislative Assembly, said that at least 499.83 acres of land belonging to Assam has been encroached upon by the neighbouring country, from where migrants have been infiltrating into the State for decades. Giving a district-wise break-up of land encroached upon by Bangladesh, the Minister says 299.04 acres of Pallatal tea estate and 11.73 acres of Pramodnagar tea estate in Karimganj district has been lost. In Dhubri district, 189.06 acres under Mancachar revenue circle has been encroached.

The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, S. Raghupathy, informs the Lower House of the Parliament that available reports and confession of arrested ULFA cadres indicate links of the outfit with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the external intelligence agency of Pakistan.

An unidentified DHD cadre belonging to the Jewel Gorlosa faction triggers a grenade explosion, targeting CRPF personnel, killing three civilians, including one female child, and injuring three others at a railway station in Maibong of North Cachar Hills district.

The peace interlocutor belonging to the People’s Consultative Group, Indira Goswami, conveys to the Union Home Secretary, V. K. Duggal, refusal of ULFA to name its representatives for direct peace talks with the Union Government unless its five arrested leaders are released ahead of the talks.

An unidentified civilian is killed by ULFA militants at Sadiya in the North Lakimpur district, while a cadre of the outfit is shot dead in an encounter with SF personnel inside a hotel at Margherita town in the Tinsukia district.

Assam Government sets up a panel to monitor tribunals, constituted under the Foreigners Act of 1985, to ensure accountability for delays in disposal of citizenship-related cases. According to Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, at least 1, 00, 000 complaints are pending with 32 tribunals set up under the act.

The Union Government assures that the land border with Bangladesh, in the Assam sector, will be totally sealed by December 31, 2006. This was disclosed by Joint Secretary of Union Home Ministry (Border Management), B. S. Lele, after a meeting with the representative of Assam Government and All Assam Students Union on the implementation of the Assam Accord. Stating that there is "no dispute" along the Bangladesh border, Lele said about 3000 acres of land are in "adverse possesion" (illegal possession). He also said the border in the Assam sector will be totally sealed after a 43 km stretch is developed.

Two DHD cadres, identified as V. Dimasa and Ithang Dimasa, are arrested from Silchar town in the Cachar district.

July 31

Four ULFA cadres are shot dead in two separate encounters with SF personnel in the Nalbari district. While two militants, Bhupen Lahkar and Hemanta Deka, are killed at Arora village, two others, including one identified as Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya alias Kaushik Sarma, are shot dead at Dhaniagog village on the banks of the river Pagladia.

An ULFA leader, Mridul Hazarika alias Bhaskar Barua, who was a prime accused in the Sanjoy Ghosh murder case of 1997, is shot dead by police personnel in an encounter at Khanakrishnapur village under Gogamukh police station in the Dhemaji district.

August 1

A hardcore United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadre, ‘sergeant major’ Rajen Dutta, is killed during an encounter with the SF personnel at Tamulbari in the Dibrugarh district. An AK-47 rifle, a mobile phone, three SIM cards and cash worth INR 1,000 are recovered from the incident site.

August 2

The ULFA-backed People's Consultative Group (PCG) threatens to pull out of negotiations with the Union Government in the wake of recent killing of several ULFA cadres by the SFs in the State.

The NDFB threatens to pull out of the cease-fire with the Union Government, accusing SFs of targeting its cadres without any provocation.

August 3

The National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan informs the peace interlocutor Indira Goswami that the Union Government is seeking a formal letter from the outlawed ULFA for the release of its five arrested leaders as well as for direct peace talks.

August 4

A grenade is triggered by ULFA cadres, targeting a security convoy, killing one security force personnel, Manoj Kumar, and injuring two others at Dhelakhat in the Tinsukia district.

August 5

At least 15 persons are injured, six of them seriously, when suspected ULFA militants trigger a grenade blast at Jonai in Dhemaji district.

August 6

Two unidentified ULFA militants are killed when a grenade, they were carrying, exploded at Mission Chariali near Defence Theater in the Tezpur district. Several persons are also wounded in the explosion.

Eight paramilitary force personnel are wounded when suspected ULFA militants hurl a grenade at a Central Reserve Police Force patrol party near Bhojo railway station under Charaideo subdivision in the Sivasagar district. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while speaking about early direct peace talks with the ULFA, says the killing of innocent civilians has to be stopped first as “it was not a one-way traffic.”

He mentions that no positive signal has come from the ULFA so far, by saying, “Reports of extortion and killing are still pouring in from various parts of the State, and this cannot be seen as a positive indication.”

A ULFA militant, Sundar Chetia, who is arrested from the Tinsukia district, confesses during interrogation that he has been extorting money ranging from Rupees 50,000 to Rupees 1 00, 000 annually for the past three years and sending them to Ujjwal Gohain, ‘finance controller of the 28 battalion’ of the outfit.

August 7

An unidentified person is killed and 15 others, including four Central Reserve Police Force personnel and a child, are injured when ULFA militants explode a grenade at Digboi Chariali in the Tinsukia district.

Four persons are wounded in a grenade blast triggered by suspected militants belonging to the anti-talks Jewel faction of the DHD at Mahur market in the North Cachar Hills district.

August 8

At least four new training camps of the ULFA are reportedly found along the India-Bhutan border in the Nalbari district.

August 9

The Assam Tai Ahom Students Union, one of the most influential groups constituting the People’s Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam, sets August 20 as the deadline for the ULFA leadership to own responsibility and publicly apologise for the killing of innocents.

August 10

Two Indian women, Shanta Dey and Sabita Dey, and five personnel of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) are killed in a two-day long gun battle between the BDR and Border Security Force (BSF) at village Harinagar and Kinokhal in the Cachar district along the India-Bangladesh border. According to BSF sources, BDR personnel open unprovoked firing at the BSF personnel who retaliate.

"They opened unprovoked and heavy volume of fire using Universal Machine Guns, Heavy Machine Guns, rifles", says Inspector General of BSF, S. K. Datta.

The Union Government accuses the NDFB for delaying the peace talks.

August 11

At least six police personnel are killed after suspected ULFA militants ambush a police convoy at Ratanipathar under Pengeri police station in the Tinsukia district.

While five personnel are killed at the incident site, another succumbs to injuries in the Assam Medical College Hospital. The Bhutanese Army Chief Maj. Gen.

Batoo Tshering and his Indian counterpart Gen J J Singh along with senior Indian and Bhutanese Commanders hold high level meetings in New Delhi to review the situation along the international border in the backdrop of reports that the militant outfit ULFA was attempting to reactivate its training camps located there.

The Union Government decides to halt all operations by security forces against the ULFA for a few days. Union Home Secretary V. K. Duggal said: “We have advised army and other security forces in Assam to suspend their operations against ULFA for a few days.” He added, “However, this does not mean that if they resort to any misadventure that will not be replied back. Appropriate action will be taken.” The decision comes days ahead of a crucial meeting between the representatives of the Union Government and mediators appointed by the outfit in New Delhi to discuss modalities for initiation of direct peace talks.

The ULFA has set up three camps in the Sandrup Jhongkar district of Bhutan, after its cadres were driven out by a counter–insurgency operation in December 2003. According to the report, Hira Sarania, a top leader believed to be close to the outfit’s ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua, is heading the cadres operating from these camps.

Three persons, including a woman and her son, are killed and seven others sustain injuries when suspected ULFA militants triggered a grenade explosion targeting security convoys near Lifecare Nursing Home at Duliajan town in the Dibrugarh district.

A grenade explosion occurs at Makum Petrol Depot in the Tinsukia district.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while asking the ULFA to abjure violence and extremism, says that difficult issues can be resolved only through dialogue and negotiations. He mentions that the Union Government is doing its best to create an atmosphere where direct talks can be held with the outfit. “Peace and progress is the need of the hour, without which commerce, industry or trade can never take root in the State. Terror and violence must be removed if problems like lack of development and unemployment are to be resolved,” said Gogoi.

At least 325 Bengali Tiger Force cadres led by its chief, Subhash Chandra Sarkar, surrender before Chief Minister Gogoi in Guwahati city.

The All Assam Tai-Ahom Students Union pulls out of the People’s Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam, following the expiry of the deadline set by it for ULFA to own responsibility and apologise for the killings of innocent civilians.

The Union Government asks the ULFA backed-PCG members to stand for personal guarantee for the release of five arrested leaders of the ULFA.

August 31

The ULFA in a communiqué assures the Union Government that five of its jailed leaders will not abscond, once they are released. A letter written by ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua is delivered to Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal by mediator Indira Goswami.

September 1

The railway construction work between Lumding and Silchar through North Cachar Hills is affected, as contractors decide to suspend construction work due to extortion threat by militant outfits.

The BSF’s Inspector General of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur Frontier, J. P. Sinha, said: “We have specific inputs that the youths from Asom have been taken to Bangladesh for training and other jihadi activities only to be sent back to Asom. These youths are not few in numbers and they are being taken by agents working for the ISI and the DGFI of Bangladesh.”

A new militant outfit, United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA), has started operating in the Karimganj and Hailakandi districts of south Assam. According to police sources, the outfit is involved in at least four incidents of abduction in the Hailakandi district during the past four months. Reports added about the involvement of the outfit in extortion from farmers, teachers, traders and Government officials living in rural areas in the Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.

September 2

At least eight explosives devices, planted by unidentified militants targeting the Haflong-Jiribam power line of 132 KV Extra High Voltage belonging to the Power Grid Corporation of India, are recovered and defused by security force personnel from Lalpani in the Cachar district along Assam-Manipur border.

September 3

Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, while making a case for a direct communication between the Government and the outfit, said that more civilians than militants are killed in the State since the ULFA constituted the PCG to negotiate on its behalf.

The ULFA backed-PCG seeks direct intervention of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to break deadlock in the peace process between the Union Government and ULFA.

September 5

The suspension of counter-insurgency operations against the ULFA is extended till September 15. This was announced by the Union Home Secretary, V. K. Duggal, following a meeting with the ULFA-backed PCG members, Indira Goswami and Rebati Phukan, in New Delhi.

The National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan denies any step on part of the Union Government to unilaterally release five arrested ULFA leaders. Before holding a meeting with the PCG members, Narayanan says, "Let them come for talks first."

September 6

DHD militants belonging to the Jewel Gorlosa faction shot dead two cadres of the rival Dilip Nunisa faction at Langting under Maibong police station in the North Cachar Hills. One of the slain militants was identified as ‘lance corporal’ Lampthou Dimasa.

The investigation report of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department of Assam Government states that persons suspected to be linked to the ISI, the external intelligence agency of Pakistan, are appointed in the State Social Welfare Department. The investigation report was published in July 2005 regarding irregular appointments to atleast 300 posts in the ranks of Inspectors and Lower Division Assistants in the Social Welfare Department.

September 7

Army officials state that the ULFA cadres are involved in extortion, despite the suspension of counter-insurgency operations against the outfit.

A bus driver, Pradip Boro, is shot dead and another, Babujan Hazarika, is abducted by militants of the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) at Langthang under Samaguri police station in the Nagaon district. According to police sources, two drivers were waiting near their buses at Langthang Bazaar, when three cadres of the outfit demanded ransom from them, and later attacked them on their refusal to pay.

September 8

Intelligence reports indicate that Jihadi elements are planning to attack the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his views on fundamentalist groups.

September 10

DHD cadres belonging to the anti-talks faction headed by Jewel Gorlosa set ablaze two labour camps at different construction sites of the Northeast Frontier Railway’s broad gauge project in the North Cachar Hills, as the companies involved in the project fail to pay ransom to the militants. Additional Superintendent of Police Bidyut Buragohain confirmed that two labour sheds at Asong Haju and Saron Basti under Mahur police station are set ablaze by at least 12 cadres of the outfit.

September 11

Central intelligence agencies inform the Assam Government that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi figures in the hit list of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), an Islamist outfit in Bangladesh. “Involvement of Bangladeshi outfits in terrorist acts in the country is nothing new and they have also chalked out covert plans for Assam. But this is probably the first time that evidence has been gathered on their motive to target a high profile politician in the state,” unnamed official sources said.

UPDS announces its suspension of peace talks with the Union Government. However, the outfit says it will continue with the cease-fire.

September 12

The ULFA seeks time till September 20 to respond to the Union Government’s demand for a formal letter before carrying forward the negotiations.

The ULFA serves an extortion note to the Nagrijuli tea estate in the Baksa district demanding INR 10 million.

According to Intelligence Bureau (IB) sources, at least four training camps are run along the India-Bhutan border where ULFA cadres are getting trained by the LTTE in carrying out suicide attacks.

The ULFA in its mouthpiece Freedom calls or a ‘level-playing field’ for direct peace talks with the Union Government and for a ‘proper atmosphere’ for talks by releasing five of its arrested leaders.

The ULFA-backed PCG member, Indira Goswami, asks the National Security Advisor, M. K. Narayanan, for extension of the suspension of counter-insurgency operation against the outfit by one more month in Assam.

The ‘commander-in-chief’ of the ULFA, Paresh Baruah, says that the possibility of direct peace talks between the Union Government and the outfit will depend on the ‘sincerity’ of the Government.

One civilian is wounded when suspected militants hurl a grenade and resort to indiscriminate firing targeting a saw mill at Maibong in the North Cachar Hills district. The saw mill caught fire after the blast.

ULFA militants kill police personnel Ranjit Sonowal at Than Gaon village under Barbaruah police station in the Dibrugarh district. The militants opened fire on police personnel, who were searching for an extortionist belonging to the outfit, identified as Debu Dutta.

A civil society organisation, Chiring Chapori Yuba Mancha, has renewed its call to boycott Bangladeshi nationals economically by not giving any jobs in the Dibrugarh district.

National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan conveys to the ULFA-backed PCG member Indira Goswami that the Union Government will not extend the suspension of counter-insurgency operations against the outfit in Assam without receiving a written commitment from it on holding direct peace talks.

A departmental action is initiated against Muzibur Rahman, an executive engineer in the Dhansiri irrigation project, for giving shelter to NDFB cadres involved in the killing of five Sashastra Seema Bal personnel along the India-Bhutan border in May 2006.

The ULFA kills a tea estate manager in Assam. Police said four ULFA cadres shot dead Haren Das, a manager of the Hailanga tea estate in front of his residence, in Digboi town. The attack comes a day after the Union Government indicated that military operations against the outfit could resume.

The Union Government declares resumption of counter-insurgency operations against the ULFA in Assam, after the deadline for suspension of operation against the outfit expires on September 20. A statement issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) says that the ‘suspension of operations’ against the outfit is called off ‘with effect from today’. The statement adds, “Operations had been suspended some time back because of the possibility of direct talks with Ulfa towards (the) peace process. However, efforts for pursuing the peace process by the government will continue.”

A ‘corporal’ of the ULFA, Diganta Baruah alias Bitupan Baruah, is killed in an encounter with SF personnel at Mazmamoroni near Lekhapani under Digboi police station in the Tinsukia district. However, another injured militant manages to escape from the encounter site. Further, nine Army personnel and a civilian, Dwipen Baruah, are also injured in the encounter.

A ULFA cadre, Mohipal Moran, is killed and five soldiers wounded during an encounter at Borpathar under Pengeri police station limits in the Tinsukia district. A 9 mm Chinese pistol, five rounds of 9mm ammunition, seven rounds of AK-47 ammunition, a hand grenade and cash worth INR 50,000 are recovered from the slain militant. Two ULFA cadres are arrested following the incident.

The ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa has stated that his outfit is not bothered about the breakdown of the cease-fire. "We don't want a truce and instead committed to ending the war. The government of India's ceasefire announcement in August was nothing but a drama enacted by them," Rajkhowa stated.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi offers the ULFA leadership one more chance to meet their jailed leaders. "I can allow the ULFA leadership, if they want to consult the jailed leaders on the peace process. I have no problems if it leads to bringing peace in the state," he says.

The ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua warns all ‘Indians living in the North-east’ to pay taxes to the outfit and also appeals to the local inhabitants to contribute according to their means to the outfit’s coffers.

Union Government decides to seal the India-Bhutan border by intensifying surveillance along the 699 kms international border to prevent any possible influx of militants belonging to outfits such as the ULFA, NDFB and KLO.

Three employees of a manufacturing enterprise, Vinay Cements Ltd, including its senior manager, Ravi Shankar Thakur, are abducted by cadres belonging to the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) from a mining site near Umrangsu in the North Cachar Hills district. Two junior employees, Prabir Kumar Das and Nahor Singh, are subsequently released. However, involvement of Kuki militants in the abduction incident is also suspected.

Suspected ULFA cadres trigger a grenade explosion targeting SF personnel at Kundil in the Tinsukia district.

The ULFA-backed PCG pulls out from the peace talks with the Union Government. PCG spokesperson Aroop Borbora said: “we feel that due to the attitude of the Government, which made a complete summersault on the assurances given earlier, holding of further parleys with the Government would not serve any purpose.”

Suspected Bru militants abduct a trader, Joinal Abedin, from the Baicherra area of Hailakandi district along the Assam-Mizoram border.

Suspected ULFA militants trigger a grenade explosion injuring eight persons at a shopping place, the Central Plaza market complex, in the Tinsukia city. Two vehicles are also damaged in the blast.

Suspected ULFA militants use a powerful bomb to blow up a portion of the Oil India Limited (OIL) pipeline at Salbari under Tingkhong police station in the Dibrugarh district. OIL spokesperson Phanindra Dev Choudhury said, "It was a 10-inch gas distribution pipeline and our workers were on the job throughout the night to repair the damaged facility. The extent of the damage is yet to ascertained.”

Police recover and defuse a powerful bomb planted by the ULFA in a dustbin on the busy Plaza-Assam trunk road in Tinsukia town.

October 2

A ULFA cadre, identified as 'lance corporal' Sishuram Saikia, is killed in an encounter with police personnel at an unspecified place in the Lakhimpur district.

ULFA threatens the ruling Congress party and its members following the resumption of Army operations against the outfit in the State. The ULFA also accuses the Union Government for failure of the peace talks.

October 3

Assam Police arrest four unidentified ULFA cadres and interrogate them for their involvement in the October 1-grenade blast in which a child was killed and 20 person wounded at Nalanipalam in the Dhemaji district.

The ULFA, while endorsing the People's Consultative Group's (PCG) decision to pull out of the negotiations with the Union Government, refuses to disband the PCG.

October 4

The ULFA plans to cut off the road communication by blowing up all the bridges and culverts in areas along the India-Myanmar international border as well as Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-State border to stop the movement of Army while carrying out its counter-insurgency operations against the outfit in Assam, according to intelligence sources.

October 5

Four civilians and three police constables are injured in a grenade blast triggered by two motorcycle-borne ULFA militants targeting a security convoy in front of the Doomdooma police station in the Tinsukia district.

Two motorcycle-borne ULFA militants hurl a hand grenade at Namrup police station in the Dibrugarh district in a simultaneous attack. The compound wall of the police station was partially damaged.

October 6

At least 13 Railway Protection Force personnel are killed by in an ambush by the DHD militants belonging to the Black Widow faction in the North Cachar Hills district.

A ULFA 'corporal', identified as Debojit, is killed by SF personnel in a counter-insurgency operation at an unspecified place in the Sibsagar district.

October 7

Two civilians are killed and three others injured in crossfire during an encounter between SFs and Black Widow militants in Mujam village under Kherni police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

An improvised explosive device is exploded by the ULFA at Borhat Sibsagar district.

A grenade is hurled at Tengakhat police station in the Dibrugarh district. Later, two persons, Diganta Sonowal and Bhupen Sonowal, were arrested from the nearby Langri Borhulla village in connection with the grenade attack.

October 8

Two motorcycle-borne ULFA militants, Simanta Bora and Baikuntha Gogoi, hurl a hand grenade at the Amguri police station in the Sibsagar district. A civilian, Lakhi Das, was injured and the building of the police station was partially damaged. The duo was arrested in the subsequent search operation.

October 9

A bicycle borne-ULFA militant hurls a grenade injuring one person at a crowded shopping place at Digboi in the Tinsukia district.

A Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) terrorist, Nurul Amin alias Shajid alias Moniruddin, who was arrested in the State in 1999, manages to escape from the Guwahati Medical College Hospital while he was being taken there for a medical check-up. Amin was among the 40 HuM cadres arrested from different parts of Assam following the arrest of four Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents in Guwahati in 1999. He was also involved in a plot to trigger blasts at the Kamakhya temple.

October 11

The ULFA triggers an IED explosion blowing up a security convoy and injuring security force personnel at an unspecified place near Dasaijan village in the Tinsukia district.

October 12

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) submits to Myanmar's Government a list of 15 militant camps run on its soil by the outfits, including ULFA.

October 13

Tinsukia district Deputy Commissioner Absar Hazarika says that students in his district were "bribed with money, cars, motor-cycles and cell phones to explode bombs and grenades in public places."

October 14

The ULFA kills a trader's son, Ghanashyam Maheswari, at Machkhowa in the Dhemaji district for his refusal to pay ransom to the outfit.

October 15

A trader, Omprakash Agarwalla, is shot dead by ULFA cadres at his grocery shop under Morn police station in the Sivasagar district. He was earlier served extortion note by the outfit, according to police sources.

One ULFA cadre, Gautom Kalita, is killed in an explosion of a crude bomb that he was manufacturing at his rented accommodation at Kahilipara in Guwahati.

The ULFA-backed People's Consultative Group seeks a communiqué from the Assam Government on the stalled peace process with the outfit.

October 16

The security force personnel foil a plan by the ULFA to plant improvised explosive devices and blow up oil and gas pipelines at Duliajan under Lankasi police station in the Tinsukia district. Digging tools and wires are recovered from the incident site.

October 17

ULFA militants kill a civilian, Dilip Barua, whose dead body is recovered from Meseki forest under Pengri police station in the Tinsukia district.

Two ULFA linkmen, Kabindra Sonowal and Arup Bora, are arrested from Jokhai area in the outskirts of Dibrugarh town.

A trader, Joinal Abedin, who was abducted and kept hostage by the United Democratic Liberation Army cadres, manages to escape from the confinement of the Bru militants, and turns up at the Jamira outpost in the Hailakandi district.

October 18

A surrendered ULFA cadre, Kamal Hazarika, is shot dead by suspected ULFA militants at Borabhayapuri under Tengakhat police station in the Dibrugarh district.

The dead body of a DHD cadre is recovered from Khinmung Basti under Mahur police station in the North Cachar Hills district.

All the major political parties in Assam condemn the ULFA for carrying out explosions, other subversive activities, and bringing in children and students into militancy.

October 19

A former BLT cadre, Nagen Boro, is shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Bamunjuli Chowk under Paneri police station in the Udalguri district along the India-Bhutan border.

At least four ULFA cadres, Rantu Medhi, Dhanen Ray, Manwar Hussain and Shahjahan Ali, are arrested from Bongaljura in the Goalpara district.

Two ULFA cadres, Aftab Ali alias Rontu Medhi and Dhojen Roy alias Appu Saikia, and a linkman, Munawar Hussain, are arrested in a search operation at Bangaljihar in the Goalpara district, for their involvement in the recruitment of new cadres for the outfit.

October 21

Unidentified militants open fire with automatic weapons at a moving train, Arunachal Express, killing one police personnel and wounding two police personnel and three passengers at Khoirabari in the Darrang district.

October 22

At least 12 DHD cadres along with a civilian driver are arrested, while travelling in two vehicles with a huge cache of arms and explosives, near Umrangsu in the North Cachar Hills district.

October 23

An unidentified ULFA cadre is killed and another wounded, when a grenade targeting SF personnel explodes at village Narayanpur in the Lakhimpur district.

The ULFA-backed People's Consultative Group member, Indira Goswami, appeals to the Union Government to restart the peace process with the group.

Two lesser-known outfits, the Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front and United Democratic Liberation Army, decide to merge by sharing of arms and selection of leaders during a meeting at Kalapahar area in the Hailakandi district on an unspecified date.

October 26

A trader, Jayanta Dey, is shot dead by the ULFA militants at Doomdooma in the Tinsukia district, for his failure to respond to the extortion notice served on him by the outfit.

October27

At least three civilians were killed and 22 persons, including one woman, a child and two Central Reserve Police Force personnel, sustain injuries when an improvised explosive device planted on a bi-cycle parked in front of Paramount Restaurant is triggered at Dhekiajuli town in the Sonitour district.

October 28

Two children were killed and several others sustained injuries in the ULFA triggered twin bomb explosions at Guwahati on the banks of the river Brahmaputra during Chhath Puja (an annual Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the sun).

October 30

Suspected DHD militants abduct Samdes Ardau, a revenue officer in the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, from his Haflong residence.

November 1

ULFA threatens to strongly resist attempts by a Pubic Sector Undertaking, Oil India Ltd, to explore petroleum oil in the Brahmaputra basin.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while speaking about the stalled peace talks between the Union Government and ULFA, says, “I think the time has come for the civil society to take a proactive role for restoration of permanent peace in Asom, and I want to know their views in this regard.”

November 2

Assam Director General of Police (DGP), D.N. Dutt, says that the ULFA is “using certain stretches of the Bhutan for taking shelter.” Earlier, S. K. Sarkar, Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) of West Bengal, had said that the ULFA and KLO were establishing camps in Bhutan and Nepal and are being helped by the Maoists of Nepal.

Bhutanese embassy in New Delhi denies the presence of ULFA or any other militant group in the country. Jigme Tenzin, third secretary in the press division of the embassy, says, “I would like to state for the record that since the removal of all 13 camps of the Ulfa from Bhutan during the military operations conducted by the royal Bhutan army in 2003, there has been no presence of the ULFA or any other group inside Bhutan.”

Tinsukia District Police arrest a person, Nirmal Singh Gurung, for distributing Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited to suspected ULFA cadres.

November 3

Three ULFA militants are killed by SF personnel in a counter-insurgency operation at Kardoiguri under Moran police station in the Dibrugarh district. A huge cache of arms and explosives is recovered from the encounter site.

The Civil Sub Divisional Officer of Hamren, Manoranjan Gogoi, while returning home from a meeting at the Karbi Anglong Distrct Collector’s office, is attacked by suspected militants.

November 5

At least 14 persons are killed and more than 52 others sustain injuries in two separate bomb blasts triggered by suspected ULFA militants at Fancy Bazaar and Noonmati area in Guwahati.

November 6

An unidentified ULFA militant is killed in an encounter with the Police at Santinagar under Noonmati police station in the Guwahati city. Explosives, including 13 grenades, nine electric detonators and some wires are recovered from his possession.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi says that the State Government has failed to provide security to the people of Assam. He says, “Yes, I have to admit that we have failed to provide security but we have taken this development very seriously and operations against the militants have been intensified.”

November 7

Assam Governor, Lt. Gen. Ajai Singh, confirms involvement of the ULFA in the November 5 twin blasts at Fancy Bazaar and Noonmati areas in Guwahati.

Sections of the Hindi-speaking community, who settle in Guwahati, desert Assam following the November 5 bomb blasts triggered by the ULFA.

The Union Tribal Affairs Minister, P.R. Kyndiah, while condemning the ULFA for the blasts in Guwahati, says, “The incidents are barbaric acts of terrorism by cowards. Such incidents should make the Centre to think of strong action against the militants.”

November 8

The Inspector General of Police (Intelligence), Khagen Sarma, names China as one of the main sources of weapons for militant outfits operating in Assam. He also accuses the Myanmarese Government of having a “soft and cosmetic” approach towards outfits operating from its soil. He says the military regime had been seizing arms and ammunition from militants of the Northeast, only to sell the consignments to the same groups later. According to Sarma, violence caused by militancy has increased in Assam during the last ten months in 2006 after showing a decreasing trend since 2000. He adds that the highest number of civilian casualties in recent times was in 2000, when 412 people were killed in terrorist attacks across Assam. At least 92 people have died in violence involving militants. While speaking about increasing incidents of bomb blasts in the State since 2002, he says, “There were 18 blasts that year. In 2005, there were 121 blasts and about 100 explosions until October this year.”

November 8

A child, Debojit Moran, is shot dead and his sister, Dipanjali Moran, is wounded in a cross fire between Army personnel and the ULFA militants at Mohong village under Pengeree police station in the Tinsukia district.

November 9

The Union Government extends the proscription on four outfits, including the ULFA and NDFB.

November 10

Two CRPF personnel, Bansi Lal and Khagen Chetia, are killed and eight others were injured in an ULFA-triggered IED explosion targeting two security convoys near Sadiya police station in the Tinsukia district.

November 11

Suspected ULFA militants trigger a bomb blast in a gas pipeline of the Oil India Limited at Dhekulajan under Tengakhat police station in the Tinsukia district.

November 12

Suspected ULFA militants trigger an explosion targeting an oil pipeline of the Oil India Limited at Habeda Tea Estate under Bordubi police station in the Tinsukia district. Another explosion is triggered at Ketujan in the same locality.

November 13

A surrendered ULFA cadre, Basanta Kalita, is shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Luitpathar near Sualkuchi in the Kamrup district.

A police personnel and two civilians are injured when suspected ULFA militants lobb a grenade at Superintendent of Police (Operations) Jitmal Doley's official residence at Panbazaar in Guwahati city.

At least seven suspected UPDS militants are arrested in a counter-insurgency operation at Kaniya Bey village near Diphu in the Karbi Anglong district, for violating cease-fire rules.

The NDFB admits that some of its cadres killed five security force personnel and a civilian in May 2006 without the sanction of the truce-bound outfit's top leadership. NDFB spokesperson S. Sanjarang said that the Government is "free to initiate action against the perpetrators of the crime in accordance with the law of the land".

Assam Police and Bhutanese Army in a joint search operation find evidence of the militant camps run by the ULFA in the neighbouring country after the counter-insurgency Operation All Clear in 2003.

The Union Government conveys to the ULFA-backed People's Consultative Group members that counter-insurgency operations against the banned outfit will be stopped only after it gives a written commitment for holding direct talks with the Government. "The Centre has asked for a written commitment from ULFA about the date of holding talks," Indira Goswami said after an hour-long meeting with the National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan.

November 14

At least seven kilograms of Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (also known as RDX), concealed in a pressure cooker by the ULFA, are recovered from a road at Sarupathar near Sapekhati in the Sivasagar district and later defused by the police. Two detonators fixed with the RDX and some wires are also recovered from the incident site.

Bhutan's Ambassador in India, Dago Tshering, said, "We have no report whatsoever of the ULFA setting up any new camp inside Bhutan or operating from anywhere in the country. On our side, the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) has been deployed to check or keep vigil over any militant influx, and on your side, we are aware of the SSB deployment for the same purpose."

November 15

The ULFA demands protection of the rights of non-Bodo people in the Bodoland Territorial Council administered areas. The outfit referred to allegations about "a certain section" of the people extorting money from "non-Bodo indigenous people" residing in the Bodoland areas.

At least eight ULFA militants, including a 'lance corporal of 27 battalion' Shankar Bora, are arrested from Bokolia under Howraghat police station.

November 16

The Commander of the Army's 107 Mountain Brigade, Brig. Kanwaljit Singh, said that Islamist outfits such as the LeT, HuJI and JMB, apart from the MULTA, have stated operating in certain minority-dominated pockets of Lower Assam, particularly where suspected migrants from Bangladesh have a sizeable presence.

The ULFA-backed PCG member Indira Goswami announces her withdrawal from the peace process. "I am hurt by the lack of transparency," said Goswami, adding: "I am not a politician. And as such I feel hurt because of the delay in the peace talks process… I am primarily an author and would like to concentrate fully on creative work.I think I have fulfilled my role as peace facilitator and have succeeded in bringing the government and ULFA closer through the People's Consultative Group."

Two unidentified NDFB cadres are shot dead by Assam Police in a counter-insurgency operation at Langkin Manikpur in the Karbi Anglong district.

November 17

An extortion note bearing signatures of two ULFA-backed PCG members, Lachit Bordoloi and Dilip Patgiri, is recovered from two persons, Rebot Bora and Pankaj Sarma, arrested during a search operation near the Guwahati Commerce College.

November 19

The Special Branch of Assam Police said that the '7th Battalion' of the ULFA has established camps at Kawaimari near Deothang in Bhutan.

November 20

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) states that the peace process between the ULFA-backed PCG and Union Government led to a decline in the violence level in Assam by three per cent, while killing of security force personnel and civilians decreased by six per cent.

November 22

Guwahati Police arrests nine persons in connection with the November 5 bomb blasts at Fancy Bazaar and Patharquary. They also recover a programmable timer device from a house in the city.

November 23

Three persons, including a woman and a child, are killed and 11 others are injured when an explosion is triggered by suspected ULFA militants at the railway station in Guwahati.

Bhutanese Government reassures Assam that it will not allow its territory to be used by "militants inimical to the state and India".

Intelligence sources reportedly said that the ULFA is now recruiting Bangladeshi youths to carry out militancy in the country, since the outfit is unable to mobilize youth from Assam.

Sivasagar district police state that only 40 per cent of the huge ransom extorted in the name of ULFA goes to the outfit, with the rest 60 per cent being invested in business by persons who are never suspected to be ULFA activists. This was revealed from the confession of two ULFA agents, Anupam Ojah and Anil Dutta, arrested earlier.

November 24

A person, Madhu Debnath, who was injured in the November 23-explosion triggered by the ULFA at the railway station in Guwahati, succumbs to his injuries increasing the number of fatalities to four.

November 26

An explosive weighing three kilograms is recovered from the house of Abdul Zaffar, a suspected agent of the Pakistani ISI, at Makati village under Gossaigaon police station in the Kokrajhar district. At least five persons are arrested in connection with the recovery.

November 28

A ULFA militant, Lalit Moran, is shot dead by SF personnel in an encounter at Liton Hatigarh in Watiat village under Pengeri police station in the Tinsukia district. Suspected ULFA militants attacked Rangapara police station in the Sonitpur district with a grenade.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says that the ULFA is under the grip of Pakistan's ISI. He told a 12-party delegation from Assam, led by former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Mahanta, which met him in New Delhi that he was ready to re-start talks with the ULFA but the group would first have to shake off the ISI yoke guiding its actions. The delegation had urged Dr. Singh to resume "unconditional" talks with the ULFA. Mahanta said after the meeting, "The PM said Centre is ready for talks (with ULFA) as and when they come out of the clutches of ISI."

November 29

Suspected ULFA militants trigger an IED blast blowing off a security convoy, killing one Army personnel, N. Yella Reddy, and injuring four Army personnel and two civilians at Asomiagaon under Joypore police station in the Dibrugarh district.

A surrendered ULFA cadre, Bhaskar Saikia alias Mission Sonowal, is shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his residence in the Lengrai village of Tinsukia district. The cease-fire agreement between the Union Government and NDFB is extended by a period of six months with effect from December 1, 2006.

The Government sets a deadline of March 1, 2007, for the NDFB to submit its charter of demands to start negotiations.

November 30

The Inspector General of BSF of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland Frontier, Jyoti Prakash Sinha, said that both the ISI and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) ‘threatened’ ULFA to dissuade itself from peace talks with the Government of India.

December 2

The ULFA asks the Union Government to give a written commitment that the issue of Assam’s ‘sovereignty’ will be discussed in the negotiations.

December 4

Assam Police is to set up an anti-extortion wing, since several persons received extortion demands from callers identifying themselves as militants belonging to the NDFB over telephone. "We are indeed worried as criminals were found serving extortion notices or demanding money over telephone in the name of some militant groups and therefore, we are seriously thinking of having an exclusive anti-extortion cell," said Assam Police intelligence chief, Khagen Sharma.

December 5

The Supreme Court declares a notification made by the Union Government to put the onus of proving someone an illegal migrant solely on the complainant as unconstitutional. A bench comprising Justices S. B. Sinha and P. K. Balasubramanyam asks the Government to constitute sufficient number of tribunals under the Foreigners Act within four months to settle pending complaints against thousands of suspected Bangladeshis residing in Assam.

December 5

Two traders, Goutam Roy and Bijit Paul, are abducted by suspected cadres of the little known militant outfit, the Barak Valley Youth Liberation Front from an unspecified place in the Karimganj district.

December 6

Assam Government appeals to the ULFA to withdraw its call for sportspersons to stay away from the forthcoming National Games.

December 7

Three employees, Ajay Banerjee, Debdoot Sen and Manoj Bhuyan, of a construction company Gammon India, are shot at and injured by suspected militants of Black Widow, the anti-talks faction of the DHD, at Manigiripur under Maibong police station in the North Cachar Hills district.

December 8

An IED planted by the ULFA militants blows up a requisitioned police convoy at Suraj Nagar under Tengakhat police station in the Dibrugarh district, killing four police personnel and the civilian driver. The ULFA has claimed responsibility for the blast and said that the explosion was executed to avenge the killing of three of its members, including middle-rank leader Charan Majhi, by the police on November 3.

The survey engineer Uday Banerjee, who was wounded by Black Widow militants, the anti-talks faction of the DHD, at Manigiripur under Maibong police station in the North Cachar Hills district a day earlier, succumbs to his injuries.

December 10

Assam Police identify Madhurjya Gohain, a cadre of ‘28 battalion’ of the ULFA, as the mastermind of the December 8-IED explosion killing four police personnel and one civilian at Suraj Nagar under Tengakhat police station in the Dibrugarh district.

December 11

A civil society organization, Dhubri Zilla Nagarik Manch (Dhubri District Citizen Forum), calls for a 12-hour general strike in the Dhubri district demanding the arrest of Abu Taher Bepari, the Legislator of Golokganj Assembly constituency, for his alleged links with the ULFA.

114 civilians and 27 security personnel have died in militancy-related violence in Assam since Tarun Gogoi took over as Chief Minister for the second term in May 2006. Forest and Environment Minister Rockybul Hussain disclosed in the State Legislative Assembly that the civilians killed include 57 persons who were killed in explosions triggered by militants. 1214 persons, including 1031 civilians, 121 personnel belonging to Assam Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other para-military forces and 62 Army personnel, were killed by various militant outfits since Gogoi became Chief Minister in May 2001. He also mentioned that as many as 1,051 cadres of various militant outfits, including the ULFA, were killed in encounters with security forces since May 2001.

December 12

Assam Government asks top ULFA leaders like ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa and ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua to take part in the peace talks with the Union Goverenment.

December 13

Two persons are killed and several others sustained injuries when unidentified militants open fire at Umrangsu Bazaar in the North Cachar Hills district.

At least four Army personnel are injured as a bomb, planted inside a pressure cooker by the ULFA militants, explodes at Kakotibari in the Sibsagar district.

A leader of the DHD, Arnol Ponglu, is killed and two cadres are injured when militants of the Black Widow, the anti-talks’ faction of the outfit led by Jewel Garlossa, attack them at Umrangshu in the North Cachar Hills district. A junior engineer of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, Manilal Thousen, is also killed during the clash.

The beheaded body of a DHD militant, Jaulal Raijung, is recovered from Langting under Maibong police station in the North Cachar Hills district. According to police sources, Raijung may have been killed by suspected cadres of his outfit.

December 15

Between January 2001 and September 2006, around 9,149 foreign nationals were detected, and out of which only 1,864 could be deported back from Assam to Bangladesh at the cost of INR 170 crore (1700 million). Minister for Assam Accord Implementation, Bhumidhar Barman, said that the Assam Government has spent INR 1,80,000 ($4,000) to formally detect and deport an illegal Bangladeshi migrant from Assam. "The police incurred an expense of INR 160 crore (1600 million) towards detection and deportation of the foreigners. The remaining was expenditure by tribunals," Barman informed.

Assam Legislative Assembly appeals to the ULFA to withdraw its call for a boycott of the 33^rd National Games scheduled from February 9 to 18, 2007.

December 17

At least 5,000 skilled as well as unskilled construction workers and technical staff reportedly left the broad gauge railway construction project between Silchar and Lumding in the North Cachar Hills district following a series of militant attacks in the recent past.

December 21

A trader, Pawan Newar, is shot dead by ULFA militants at Beltola area in Guwahati city.

An improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a bicycle is triggered by the suspected ULFA militants in the Athgaon area of Guwahati city, injuring at least 20 persons, including children and women. "The ULFA was behind the blast," says Avinash Joshi, Kamrup District (Metro) Deputy Commissioner.

December 22

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tells Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that the Union Government will offer safe passage to top ULFA leaders if they come forward for direct peace talks with the Government.

December 23

A supervisor of a railway construction company, Banwarilal Sharma, is rescued from the captivity of suspected Hmar and Kuki militants from Chiripunjee area near Jaipur in the Cachar district along the Assam-Manipur border.

A court remands Samiran Baruah, mastermind of the recent blasts triggered by ULFA in Guwahati, along with two of his accomplices, Numal Chetia and Bonti Gogoi, for three days. They were arrested at Abhaypur near Sonari town in the Sibsagar district. According to their confession, the ‘28th battalion’ of ULFA was planning bigger terror attacks than those triggered recently in the Guwahati city.

A woman cadre of the ULFA, identified as Bobby Chetry alias Manisha Sarma, is arrested by the city police during a search operation at an unspecified place near the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

December 24

The ULFA-backed PCG rejects Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s offer of "safe passage" to top ULFA leaders as a ‘political gimmick’.

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

December 25

The ULFA chief, Arabinda Rajkhowa, said in an emailed statement to the media that Nagaland had set up four subdivisions— Kohoboto, Niuland, Uriamghat and Hukaiare — in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts along Assam-Nagaland border. He accused the Assam Government of being soft towards Nagaland. He also condemned political parties for not taking a strong stand on the NSCN-IM demand for a "greater Nagalim", including the Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

December 26

A self-styled woman ‘corporal of the 28 battalion’ of the ULFA, Karabi Phukan alias Bandita Phukan, was arrested at Teokghat under Sonari police station in the Sibsagar district.

December 27

One kilogram of brown sugar worth INR 1.30 crore is recovered from six militants of the ULFA and NDFB, who are arrested by security force personnel during a search operation at a hotel at Gossaigaon town in the Kokrajhar district.

Assam Police confirm that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is at the top of ULFA's hit list. The recent arrest of ULFA cadres in Dibrugarh and Sibsagar districts in upper Assam and their subsequent interrogation revealed that the ULFA was "planning something big to attract the Centre's attention towards its demands."

December 28

The Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal asks ULFA leaders to make a formal request to the Union Government for talks to restore peace in Assam. "We are ready to hold talks with the ULFA but there should be a formal approach from the ULFA leaders to the Centre," the Union Home Secretary said, adding that before any talks, the ULFA should make its stand clear that there will be no more violence and no sovereignty issue. "These two pre-conditions were of utmost important to hold peace talks with the ULFA cadres," he mentioned.

December 29

The BSF reportedly arrested 776 Bangladeshi infiltrators along the Assam-Meghalaya border in 2006 (till November). 754 are handed over to police and 22 to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR). According to BSF sources, most of the 754 Bangladeshi nationals handed over to the police are deported to the neighbouring country after talks during the BSF-BDR flag meetings. The report adds that smuggled goods worth over INR 8.5 crore, including forest produce valued at INR 2.4 crore, narcotics worth INR 70.9 lakh and cattle valued at INR 1.9 crore, are recovered from the Indo-Bangladesh border. The seizure includes fake Indian currency worth INR 33,000, which are being pumped into the country from Bangladesh.

December 30

A huge cache of arms and explosives, including several gelatine sticks, nine detonators and small arms, 90 pieces of assorted explosives weighing nearly two kilograms, was recovered from two arms suppliers, Pradeep Basumatary and Bangal Mushahary, who were arrested from an unspecified place near Runikhata in the Chirang district. They confess to having procured arms and explosives from a company based in Hyderabad and later supplied the same to the Assam and Meghalaya-based outfits, including ULFA and NDFB.