The incident took place in the Jagun area of Tinsukia district at around 2 am on Sunday. The location is in close proximity to the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. ULFA (Independent) has claimed responsibility for the attack, terming the operation as ‘Operation Bujoni (Understanding)’.
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This comes as the state is in full election mode which is scheduled for April 9. An alert has been sounded across the state following the attack. In the past, ULFA (Independent), also known as the anti-talk faction of ULFA, has targeted political leaders during elections.
A police officer said, “The attackers launched a heavy ambush on the camp, lobbing five grenades followed by indiscriminate firing.” A senior intelligence official, who did not wish to be named, said, “This is a desperate attempt to make its presence felt. ULFA-I has a cadre strength of over 150. However, given that it is election time, we have issued alerts as the outfit may attempt similar offensives in the future.”
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Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the incident unfortunate. “Police and Army have launched a counter-offensive, and those behind this attack will be nabbed soon,” he said.In a statement, the outfit said the attack was carried out by members of its armed wing and described it as a “military action” against the Assam Police. The group said that after the 2021 Assam elections, it had decided to refrain from armed activities against Assam Police following what it described as informal understandings. However, it alleged that security forces violated this understanding through a series of actions against its members in subsequent years.
The statement also accused the Assam Police of involvement in the killing and arrest of several of its cadres between 2021 and 2023, and also alleged harassment and targeting of its supporters.
