ULFA militants planned to disrupt Indo-Myanmar talks

SHILLONG, JANUARY 10: The five top militants of United Liberation Front of Assam arrested early on Saturday had planned to disrupt the rec...

SHILLONG, JANUARY 10: The five top militants of United Liberation Front of Assam arrested early on Saturday had planned to disrupt the recently concluded high-level talks between India and Myanmar, according to intelligence sources.

The two countries, besides studying possible border trade, discussed measures for enhanced cooperation between their armed forces in areas particularly where the forces were deployed along the common border during their parleys held here on January seven.

Though the gist of the crucial discussion on cross border terrorism was not made available to the public on security ground, defence analysts observed that the talks included schemes to nab militants in the entire north-eastern region.

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Intelligence sources also said the five arrested had been evading the Meghalaya police for quite sometime and clandestinely carrying out their activities, mainly public relations, from their hideout in posh Upper Lachumiere area in the city.

However, according to Meghalaya Director Generalof Police B K Dey Saiwan, the ULFA militants did not have any plan to disrupt the Indo-Myanmar talks.

On Friday night and Saturday morning, the Assam police along with the city police conducted raids in different parts of the city and nabbed the ULFA men.

Among those arrested was a prize catch, the central headquarter office secretary of the outfit, Chitra Dihingia, who was nabbed from another hideout in the city.

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According to intelligence sources, the Assam police received a tip off about the presence of the militants in the State, after which the raid was conducted in the two hideouts.