Ulfa-I ‘corporal’ surrenders before police, Assam Rifles

Dibrugarh: A Myanmar-trained Ulfa-I militant on Tuesday surrendered before Tinsukia police and Assam Rifles, marking a significant breakthrough in the region’s counter-insurgency operations.Self-styled corporal Samiran Chetia alias Prabin Asom, an active member of the insurgent group, surrendered after Tinsukia police and Assam Rifles launched a joint operation along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in the district, tracking his movement.“The operation was based on specific intelligence inputs and was executed without any exchange of fire. It’s a significant success in the region’s ongoing counter-insurgency efforts,” said Tinsukia senior superintendent of police Abhijit Gurav.Official sources confirmed that sustained pressure from security forces, operating along the border areas, compelled the militant to surrender.Preliminary investigations have revealed that Chetia, a resident of Jagun in Tinsukia, joined the banned outfit in 2022. However, his association with militant organisations predates his Ulfa-I membership. Prior to joining the separatist group, he was briefly affiliated with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), where he received his initial arms training.

According to police sources, Chetia subsequently underwent advanced training at Ulfa-I camps in Myanmar. The training reportedly included weapons handling, guerrilla warfare tactics and other insurgency-related activities.“The surrender demonstrates the effectiveness of our intelligence network and coordination between security agencies operating in the border region,” a senior police official said.Chetia’s surrender comes at a crucial time, just days after Ulfa-I militants attacked the 2nd Grenadiers camp of the Indian Army at Kakopathar in Tinsukia, leaving three soldiers injured. The incident had prompted high-level security reviews by both, the director general of police and the inspector general of police (law & order).Security experts said the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Tinsukia has long been used by militant groups as a transit corridor to reach their camps in Myanmar.Authorities are currently interrogating Chetia to gather intelligence about Ulfa-I’s operational structure, location of camps and future plans. Police officials said his surrender and subsequent debriefing could provide valuable insights into the militant group’s activities in the region.