A day after suspected Ulfa militants killed two of a family and injured three others in Tinsukia district, the Assam Government has put the security forces on alert to avoid any such further attacks by militants.
Police also termed the attacks as a result of mounting pressure on the Ulfa’s anti-talk faction to strike, particularly by the newly-floated platform of the North-Eastern militant outfits — United liberation Front of United liberation Front of the Western South East Asia (UNlFW).
“The Ulfa’s anti-talk faction led by Paresh Baruah is under pressure from the UNlFW, particularly after the other members like NSCN(K), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and the Kanglei Yawol Kunna lup (KYKl) had already started their attacks on the security forces,” said a senior Assam police official.
“The Hindi speaking people are often the soft targets and they (Ulfa) did it to make their presence felt. There have been intelligence inputs that the outfit might try to target the Hindi speaking people and the security forces,” he said.
“We also have inputs that Paresh Baruah had asked some of his trusted comrades like Dristi Rajkhowa to attack the security forces. There is also information that a five-member team of the Ulfa faction had entered the State recently from Myanmar to carry out subversive activities,” he added.
Tinsukia district, which has a sizable Hindi Speaking population, took to the streets on Wednesday to protest against the failure of the Government to provide security and demanding adequate compensation for the victims.
Some of the agitated protesters also blocked a highway at Makum to stage their protest. Places like Doomdooma and Kakopathar in the district remained shut.
The Assam Police in association with the Army and SSB launched a massive operation against the anti-talk faction Ulfa militants in and around Tinsukia district and deployed four companies of additional forces.
Additional Director General of Police, RM Singh had also rushed to Pengeri to take stock of the law and order situation.
The Assam Government transferred Tinsukia SP Arnab Deka after one of the protesters at Makum, where the police resorted to lathicharge, died in hospital. The agitated people have also called a 36-hour Tinsukia district bandh from Thursday to protest the police atrocities that led to killing of one of the protesters today.