Reportedly, a drone-missile attack was carried out on a ULFA camp in Myanmar. Top commander Nayan Medhi is dead. ULFA has accused India, but the Indian Army has denied the strike.
Myanmar ULFA Strike: A tense situation has developed on the India-Myanmar border. The United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent), or ULFA (I), an insurgent group from Assam, has claimed that the Indian Army launched a drone and missile attack on its camp in the Sagaing region of Myanmar. The organization claims that the attack killed several insurgents, including its top commander Nayan Medhi. However, both the Indian Army and Air Force have completely denied any such strike.
ULFA Accuses India of Carrying Out the Attack
A statement issued by ULFA (I) stated that the attack using drones and missiles occurred on the morning of July 13, while the last rites of their senior commander Nayan Medhi alias Nayan Asom were being performed. In addition to Nayan Medhi, another commander was killed in the attack. The organization has claimed that the attack was carried out by India.
ULFA's Base Camp is Located in Myanmar's Sagaing Region
ULFA (I)'s camps are located in the Sagaing region of Myanmar, bordering India. Camp number 779 is located in the village of Waktham. In addition, the organization's Eastern Headquarters is in the Hoyat settlement, where the attack is said to have taken place. It is reported that after the decline of insurgency in Assam, ULFA has made Myanmar its bhold.
Insurgent Organizations are Taking Advantage of Anarchy in Myanmar
There has been a long-standing conflict between the army and rebel groups in Myanmar. Due to the weakening of the army's hold, many anti-India insurgent organizations have taken refuge in the jungles of Myanmar. Prominent among them are organizations like ULFA (I) and NSCN (I). According to reports, drone strikes have been carried out on at least four insurgent camps in the areas of Myanmar bordering China. However, there has been no official confirmation of this.
Reports of Attacks on NSCN (I) Camps as Well
Not only ULFA, but also reports are coming in about attacks on the camps of the Naga insurgent organization, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I). The locations of these organizations are situated near the China border, which is a serious matter of concern for India's security.
ULFA Chief Paresh Baruah Still Missing
Paresh Baruah, the head of ULFA (I), has been missing for many years. It is believed that he is either hiding on the China-Myanmar border or in Bangladesh. Recently, a Bangladeshi court sentenced him to death in an old terror case, which was later commuted to life imprisonment. Last year, the NIA filed a chargesheet against Paresh Baruah and three other insurgents in a plot to plant bombs during Independence Day in Assam. It is believed that efforts are being made to reactivate ULFA with the help of China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Army Denies Any Strike
Both the Indian Army and the Air Force have denied any military action in Myanmar. They maintain that no such cross-border operation has been carried out. No official statement has been issued by the Myanmar government either.
India Conducted its First Myanmar Strike in 2015
This is not the first time that India has been accused of carrying out military action in Myanmar. In 2015, the Indian Army's Special Forces (Para-SF) entered the Myanmar border and attacked the NSCN (I) camp. This action was in response to an attack on an Indian Army convoy in Manipur, in which about 60-70 insurgents were killed. At that time, the government provided information about it through a press conference.
