Arunachal Pradesh Timeline - 2007

January 10

A joint counter-insurgency operation was launched by the Army, Assam Rifles, Arunachal Pradesh Police and Assam Police targeting the ULFA militants taking shelter in the forest areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

January 13

Two militants belonging to the NSCN-K and ULFA respectively surrendered before the Assam Rifles at Jairampur. They had reportedly fled from their respective camps in Myanmar.

Army claims to have arrested an ULFA sympathiser, identified as Mutlib Ali, near Santipur in Lower Dibang Valley District.

January 14

Two ULFA militants were arrested during a search operation in the Changlang District.

A ULFA militant, Jaan Bhuyan alias Jim Chowdang, surrendered before Assam Rifles at Jairampur in the Changlang District. He deposited an AK-series rifle, a sub-machine gun and explosives. Bhuyan confessed that at least 60 ULFA cadres were currently undergoing training in Myanmar under the guidance of the NSCN-K.

A ULFA linkman, Shankar Chakma, was arrested by SF personnel while neutralizing two camps run by the outfit by at Monobhum reserve forest in the Tirap District. Books showing location of top ULFA leaders, medicines, clothes and rations were recovered from the camps.

SFs recovered 75 kilograms of TNT from the NSCN-K militants in the Saching village of Changlang District. While the NSCN-K claimed that two SF personnel and a 'sergeant major' were killed during the raid, SF sources said that the casualties among the militants could be higher.

A ULFA militant, Kabin Moran, was killed in an encounter with the SFs at Inthang village near Manabhum Reserve Forest in the Lohit District. Three other militants, including one injured during the encounter, managed to escape from the incident site.

A NSCN-K cadre, Vijai Chakma, surrendered at Chowkham in the Lohit District.

SFs killed two ULFA cadres, identified as Himeswar Borsaikia alias Rameshwar Borsikia and Papu Moran, at Manabhum Reserve Forest in the Changlang District.

SFs killed seven top ULFA militants, including two women cadres, identified as 'corporal' Rituparna Davidar alias Rishab Bora, 'Lt. corporal' Lily Moran, 'corporal' Jayanta Sonowal, Binanda Tsering, Prafulla Hazarika alias Brajen Sarma and Papu Gohain alias Himadri Gohain alias Moina Gohain at Tikoribam in the Lohit District along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Four SF personnel were injured in a ULFA-triggered bomb explosion at Medo in the Lohit District. Army sources said ULFA militants triggered an explosion when a two-vehicle convoy of the Army's 581 light regiment were on a routine patrol in the area, adjoining Manabhum forest, where a major flush-out operation against ULFA is on for the past several months.

A NSCN-IM cadre, identified as Taichat Wangpan alias Thomas, was arrested by the Assam Rifles personnel from Longding market in the Tirap District. Subsequent to his arrest, he was shot at and injured by the AR personnel as he tried to snatch a rifle from a soldier. He succumbed to his injuries later.

SFs launched a major military operation against the ULFA in Arunachal Pradesh. Army sources said the operation has been launched to flush out and arrest ULFA cadres taking shelter at the Namdapha Reserve Forest in the Changlang District. A large battalion-sized force, exclusively trained for jungle and counter-insurgency operations reportedly took part in the crackdown.

Rudra Bora alias Bikram Bora, 'second lieutenant' of ULFA's 709 battalion, was killed in an Army operation at Modai Ghat in the Changlang District.

An ULFA militant was killed and a transit camp of the outfit inside the Manabhum reserve forest in the Changlang District was neutralised.

A ULFA militant, Ananta Gogoi, was assaulted by local people of Chakma Basti near Chowkham in the Lohit District after he and his associates demanded a ransom of INR 1000000 from a shopkeeper.

The dead body of an unidentified cadre of the '28^th battalion' of the ULFA was recovered from the Manabhum reserve forest in the Lohit District. Sources said that the militant had died of malaria.

Police arrested Ranu Das alias Gita Gogoi, wife of the Myanmar-based ULFA cadre Dipen Das, along with her 14-month-old child, from Naharlagun in the Papum Pare District. Several compact discs and incriminating documents were recovered from the house in capital Itanagar, where she was staying. The house was rented by Purabi, wife of Prabal Neog, who was arrested from Tezpur town in Assam on September 16.

One senior cadre of the '28^th battalion' of the ULFA, Pranjal Saikia alias Hiren Hazarika, surrendered to the SFs at Teju in the Lohit District. Saikia hails from Doomdooma in the Tinsukia District of Assam and had joined the outfit in 1990.

SFs arrested one ULFA cadre of the '28^th battalion', Dhajen Gogoi alias Ranjan Gogoi, from Manbhum Reserve Forest in the Lohit District.

Three Assam Rifles personnel and a civilian were killed and eight persons injured in an ambush by the NSCN-IM militants in a remote jungle in the Tirap District. The victims were identified as Mohan Singh, S. K. Tiwari and Lowang and civilian contractor Mukesh Srivastava. Defence sources said that the militants targeted the AR commanding officer and three vehicles moving from Kunsa to Panchu by exploding a powerful Improvise Explosive Device. Sources added that the NSCN-IM carried out the ambush in retaliation to Operation Orchid, launched by the AR in the District to flush out the group.

Two ULFA cadres, Nitul Sonowal and Muleswar Sonowal, were killed in an encounter with the SFs at Rangoli village in the Lohit District. The slain militants hailed from the Dibrugarh District in Assam.

A self-styled 'corporal' of the 28^th battalion of the ULFA, identified as Utpal Bora, was killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) at Mahadevpur area in the Lohit District. One 9-mm pistol and four rounds of ammunition were recovered from his possession.

Five women were injured in an internecine clash between the NSCN-IM and the rival NSCN-K at Lazu village in the Tirap District. The five women were identified as Potoi Moinyak, Ngayum Hato, Pojen Wotey, Ngana Matchang and Nyamo Wotey.

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

One civilian, identified as Tultul Shah, was killed and 14 others injured in a bomb attack by the ULFA militants at Bordumsa in the Changlang District.

Two NSCN-IM cadres, M.B. Singh alias Cobra and Changen Akhom, were arrested under Deomali Police station in the Tirap District.