The proscribed militant outfit, United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), asserted that it fell victim to a drone attack at its camp in Myanmar, resulting in injuries to two of its cadres. The anti-talk ULFA disclosed in a media statement that the assailant dropped three bombs within its camp premises.

According to an official statement, the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) reported a sequence of incidents involving bombs at its camp in Myanmar. The first explosion occurred at 4:10 pm, followed by a second a few minutes later, while the third bomb failed to detonate at 4:20 pm, resulting in injuries to two members.

The outfit has attributed the attack to Indian security forces. In response, Army sources noted that since the claim pertains to a foreign territory, relevant agencies would be better positioned to assess the validity of this assertion. Led by Paresh Baruah, ULFA-I maintains several camps in Myanmar and has expressed reluctance to engage in peace talks unless discussions prioritize the issue of sovereignty.

On December 29, the Indian government signed a peace accord with ULFA. In 2003, the NDA government, alongside the Bhutanese army, overran Indian insurgents' camps in Bhutan, leading to the disappearance of ULFA leaders. In 2015, the Indian Army conducted a surgical strike on Northeast militant bases along the Indo-Myanmar border, specifically in the Sagaing division of Northern Myanmar.

Since February 2021, Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, has frequently clashed with civilian forces following the seizure of power by the military junta in the neighbouring country. The intensity of the conflict between various factions has escalated since November of the previous year.

On January 2, approximately 151 soldiers from Myanmar, who sought refuge in Mizoram following the capture of their camps, were repatriated to Myanmar aboard a military aircraft. These soldiers, armed and carrying ammunition, had fled to Mizoram's Lawngtlai district and approached the Assam Rifles after their camps along the India-Myanmar border were overrun by fighters from the Arakan Army.

In November, a collective of 104 Myanmar soldiers, including officers, sought refuge in Mizoram during various phases following the takeover of their border-adjacent camps by pro-democracy armed groups. Commencing from November 13, a series of Myanmar soldiers crossed into Indian territory in distinct phases after the Chin National Defence Force, the armed faction of the Chin National Organisation, captured their camps in the Chin state.

Since the military coup in February 2021, more than 38,000 individuals from Myanmar have sought refuge in Mizoram. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh disclosed that approximately 6,000 people from Myanmar have recently taken shelter in his state due to the ongoing unrest in the neighboring country.

Image source: Hindustan Times