The separatist Indian outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has accused the Indian Army of launching drone and missile strikes on its camps in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region, claiming the attacks killed three senior leaders and injured dozens.
The Indian Army, however, has denied any involvement, raising questions about the veracity of the claims and the dynamics of insurgent activity along the volatile India-Myanmar border.
In a series of statements, ULFA-I alleged that over 150 drones, reportedly of Israeli and French origin, targeted its Eastern Command Headquarters (ECHQ) at Hoyat Basti and the 779 Camp at Waktham Basti between 2:00am and 4:00am on Sunday, the sepratist group claimed.
The group claimed that Lieutenant General Nayan Medhi (alias Nayan Asom), a key strategist, was killed in an initial drone strike. Subsequent missile attacks, allegedly during Nayan Asom’s funeral, reportedly killed Brigadier Ganesh Lahon (alias Ganesh Asom) and Colonel Pradip Gogoi (alias Pradip Asom), with 19 cadres injured and several civilians wounded.
ULFA-I also stated that camps of allied groups, including the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur, were hit.
The group, led by Paresh Baruah, condemned the strikes as “barbaric and inhumane” and vowed retaliation, alleging that the Myanmar Army was aware of the operation in advance.
The Indian Army swiftly rejected ULFA-I’s claims. Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat, PRO Defence Guwahati, told media, “There are no inputs with the Indian Army on such an operation.” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma echoed this, clarifying that the Assam Police had no role and that no strikes originated from Assam’s soil. “We need more details. If such an operation occurred, the Army will issue an official statement,” Sarma said, noting that the state is monitoring developments.
ULFA-I, a hard-line faction formed in 2012 by Paresh Baruah, operates from Myanmar’s ungoverned border regions, where it maintains four camps and an estimated 200–250 armed cadres. The group, part of the United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW), demands Assam’s sovereignty and has rejected peace talks, unlike a pro-talks ULFA faction that signed an accord in 2023. Its bases in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region, a hotspot for insurgent activity, benefit from ethnic and cultural ties with local minorities and the region’s lawlessness since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup.
Speculation surrounds the cause of the alleged attacks. Some sources suggest infighting among insurgent groups may be responsible, rather than Indian military action. The recent arrest of ULFA-I commander Rupom Asom in May and Baruah’s reported links with Pakistan’s ISI add to the group’s vulnerabilities.
Source: AFP, Zee News