Four youths linked to Ulfa-I injured in police firing

Guwahati: Amid the ongoing verbal spat between Assam Director General of Police G P Singh and outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom -Independent (Ulfa-I) , at least three youths, suspected to have been going to Myanmar to join Ulfa-I were injured in police firing in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district on Saturday night.

Police said that the youths had left their homes to join Ulfa-I but they were intercepted while on their way to Myanmar and arrested. However, they tried to escape from police custody after attempting to snatch a pistol from an officer, police said, adding that the trio wounded when police opened fire to stop them from escaping the police custody.

“We were informed on Saturday by families of the three that they had left their homes to join Ulfa-I and were headed to the outfit’s camps in Myanmar. They had left in a car and asked family members to pick it up from Jagun,” said Sadiya superintendent of police (SP), Mrinal Deka.

The trio, all residents of Chapakhuwa, were planning to leave the vehicle and proceed to Myanmar by crossing the international border in Arunachal Pradesh, police said.

“Based on information provided by their families, we were able to track and capture them on Saturday night at Kharsang in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders Myanmar. They were then brought back to Assam,” police said.

According to police, upon interrogation, the trio informed them that they had gathered in Dhola to plan their trip to Myanmar. A police team was taking them to the spot when they tried to snatch a pistol from an accompanying policeman and escape.

The police team fired at them and all three sustained bullet injuries on their legs, police said, adding that the trio have been admitted to the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh.

Police said that in a similar incident another suspected linkman of Ulfa-I was injured in police firing at Geleki in the Sivasagar district on Sunday morning.

All these incidents took place in the backdrop of ongoing diatribe between Assam director general of police (DGP) G P Singh and Ulfa-I chief Paresh Baruah in the past few days after the outfit claimed last week to have triggered at least three blasts in the state (one of them close to an army camp) in which no one was injured.

On December 17, the banned outfit issued a statement accusing the DGP of being arrogant and using the state police as his “ancestral property”. In response, Mr Singh told reporters that Ulfa-I knows his place of residence and office and they are welcome to target him.

The DGP on Saturday warned youths willing to join Ulfa-I. He also cautioned people against putting up social media posts in support of outlawed terrorist organisations. He warned that police would take strict action against those taking to social media in support of banned outfits.