Gaurav Gogoi Urges Centre for Clarification on Military Action Over ULFA-I Camp

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi on Monday urged the central government to issue a clear statement on the reported drone strike on ULFA-Independent (ULFA-I) camps across the Myanmar border.

Taking to Facebook, Gogoi said the alleged military action could harm the ongoing peace process in Assam and demanded that the Centre clarify its objectives and the consequences of such strikes. He further stressed that dialogue with ULFA (I) must continue.

“Reports of an Indian Army assault on ULFA (Independent) camps may harm Assam’s peace process. The Centre must clarify its intention and outcome. The people of Assam demand clear answers,” he posted on Facebook.

The appeal comes in the backdrop of a reported cross-border operation involving precision drone strikes on ULFA-I and NSCN(K) hideouts in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region in the early hours of July 13. The group later claimed that its top commander Lt. Gen. Nayan Asom was killed in the initial strike, followed by a second attack during his funeral, which allegedly killed Brigadier Ganesh Asom and Colonel Pradip Asom. ULFA-I condemned the action and vowed retaliation.

Reacting to the reports, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the state police had no role in the operation. “There has been no strike from Assam’s soil. We are still waiting for official confirmation from the Indian Army,” he said.

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