Ceasefire with ULFA extended till Sept 15

Extending the ceasefire with banned United Liberation Front of Asom for the third time till September 15, the Centre on Tuesday night said that it was expecting "some communication" within a fortnight on whether the insurgent group would participate in the talks directly.

"We are expecting some communication" from the banned organisation within 10 days, Union Home Secretary V K Duggal said after his meeting with the ULFA mediators Indira Goswami and Rebati Phukan, who handed over a letter from People's Consultative Group for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He was replying to a question whether the Centre expected some communication from ULFA over its decision to participate in the talks directly.

In the meantime, the Centre has decided to extend the suspension of army operation till September 15 as requested by PCG mediating on behalf of ULFA, Duggal said.

This is the third time that the government has extended the suspension of operations against ULFA, which was announced for the first time on August 13 for 10 days and again for 15 days on August 23.

"Chances of talks (direct) are very good. Things are moving in the right direction. There are few rough edges which have to be smoothened," Duggal said after the meeting, which was chaired by National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and Intelligence Bureau Chief E S L Narisimhan.

But the word of caution was again echoed by Duggal who said the government may reconsider suspension of operation if the outfit indulges in activities of "violence or extortion or carrying of weapons".