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ULFA-I claims drone strike on Myanmar base, Indian Army denies involvement

ULFA-I has alleged drone strikes by the Indian Army on its Myanmar headquarters, claiming multiple casualties, but the Army and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma have denied any such operation

By The Assam Tribune
ULFA-I claims drone strike on Myanmar base, Indian Army denies  involvement
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ULFA (I) | File image

Guwahati, July 13: The banned insurgent outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has claimed that its eastern headquarters in Myanmar was targeted in a deadly drone attack allegedly carried out by the Indian Army - a claim categorically denied by Indian defence authorities and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In a statement released on Sunday, ULFA-I alleged that drones struck their camps along the Myanmar border in the early hours, killing at least 19 of its cadres and injuring another 19. The outfit also claimed that senior ULFA-I commander Nayan Medhi died in the purported strikes and that cadres from Manipuri insurgent groups, including the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) — the political wing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — were also among the casualties.

However, when contacted, Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, PRO Defence Guwahati, firmly rejected the allegations. “There are no inputs with the Indian Army on any such operation,” Rawat stated, indicating that there was no record or confirmation of a cross-border drone strike being carried out by Indian forces.

Echoing this, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dismissed any role of state forces in the alleged incident. “Assam Police is not involved in this. And there has not been any attack from Assam soil. We need to know more facts. Usually, when an attack like this happens, there is an official statement by the armed forces. But till now we haven’t seen any statement by the forces,” Sarma said, urging the public to wait for verified information.

The development comes at a time when ULFA-I, led by its elusive chief Paresh Barua, is grappling with a leadership crisis. With the recent arrest of senior commander Rupom Asom by Assam Police in May and the alleged death of Nayan Medhi, the group is reportedly left with only one senior functionary, Arunodoy Dohotiya, operating from Myanmar.

Sources familiar with Northeast insurgency dynamics suggest that the outfit’s claim could be linked to internal factional disputes among insurgent groups in the region. The volatile India-Myanmar border has long served as a refuge for ULFA-I and Manipuri insurgent groups, especially amid Myanmar’s military turmoil under the ruling Tatmadaw.

Earlier this year, clashes near the border in Manipur’s Chandel district resulted in the deaths of at least 10 militants, highlighting persistent security concerns for India.

- With inputs from news agencies

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