NEWS

Assam: 6 ultras held for violating truce

By K Anurag in Guwahati
November 13, 2006 18:53 IST

Six militants belonging to United People's Democratic Solidarity were apprehended by security personnel with arms and ammunition. They were charged with violation of ceasefire ground rules in a raid operation at Kaniya Bey village, near Diphu in Karbi Anglong hill district on Monday.
    
Police said that the raid was jointly conducted by the 11 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and Assam police.

Six AK-56 rifles, 16 magazines, one 9 mm pistol, one revolver and a single-barrel gun were recovered from the UPDS cadres during the raid.

The United People's Democratic Solidarity is in a cease-fire agreement with the government and the pact prohibits UPDS cadres from moving about with arms.
    
The security forces had stepped up vigil in Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hill districts of Assam following widespread allegations of violation of truce ground rules by cadres of the UPDS and Dima Halam Daogah.

Both the tribal militant outfits are in truce with the central government since 2002 and the peace talks were continuing.

There have been allegations from different quarters that the UPDS and the DHD continued to terrorise the twin hill districts of the state through illegal activities like extortion at gun point, kidnapping and other activities, in direct violation of the ground rules.

Contractors engaged by the Northeast Frontier Railway for its gauge conversion works in Lumding-Silchar hill section of the state have demanded adequate security cover in the face of constant threat from gun-toting tribal militants in that sector.

In a an earlier incident, 11 persons were killed and three others injured when Dimasa tribal militants ambushed an inspection team of the railways at Mandisha under Maibang police station of North Cachar Hill district.

The threat posed by Karbi and Dimasa tribal militants came up for discussion during the security strategy group meeting earlier this month.

The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary V K Duggal who was in the state to take stock of the situation after November 5 twin blasts in Guwahati that claimed 15 lives.

K Anurag in Guwahati

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