Militants belonging to Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC), have become more active in Garo Hills district of Meghalaya and have launched an extortion drive, collecting money from the trading community in the name of fund collection. (Assam Tribune, Hatsingimari, July 12, 1999)

Ten militants of the Tripura Tribal Youth Force (TTYF) laid down arms before Assam Rifles personnel at Ambassa on Saturday, Assam Rifles sources said on Sunday. The militants led by its self-styled 'zonal commander' Gajendra Tripura surrendered their guns before the Assam Rifles camp in Dhalai district. (Press Trust of India; Agartala; ; July 12, 1999)

Maximum alert has been sounded in Tripura to deter Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (IS) agents and insurgents being trained in Bangladesh from entering the state through the porous border, according to the director-general of police (DGP) K T D Singh. Singh said that Tripura police suspected the hand of ISI and Bangladesh outfit Harkat-ul-Zihad in using landmines for the first time in an ambush by militants at Takumbari in South Tripura on July 10. Six persons, including five Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawans, were killed in the ambush. The DGP, who visited the spot after the incident, told newsmen here on Sunday night that a strong group of 20 militants had launched the ambush in a planned manner using four landmines. They also hurled eight to nine grenades. He said the identity of the insurgents involved in the ambush was not ascertained but they were suspected to belong to the banned outfit, All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF). (Press Trust of India; Agartala; July 12, 1999)

The Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Tuesday alleged that a former Bangladesh minister had helped the ULFA to set up camps in that country at the behest of the ISI. A former industry and jute development minister of Bangladesh had helped the ULFA in training its cadres in the camps at the behest of the ISI, Mahanta told PTI without naming the person. After getting a report from the Union home ministry that the ISI was planning to carry out subversive activities in the Northeast, the chief minister said the government had directed the district administration to remain on alert. (Press Trust of India; Guwahati; July 13, 1999)

The Assam government has directed all the district administrations to take necessary precautionary measures to prevent any possible subversive activity by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), said Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Talking to The Assam Tribune here on Monday, Mahanta said that the Union home ministry has alerted the State Government that the ISI might try to resort to subversive activities in view of the war in Kargil. He said that the home ministry report further pointed out to the fact that the ISI has now trained its guns towards the northastern region of the country and there is every possibility of the Pakistani intelligence agency resorting to subversive activities. He also revealed that following the directive of the state government, the district administrations have taken precautionary measures and a few suspects have been picked up in different parts of the state. The Chief Minister said that the links between the ISI and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is now a well-established fact and the recent statements of the militant outfit supporting the cause of Pakistan have also proved that the outfit has direct links with the ISI. He said that according to information available with the Government, the former Industry and Jute Development Minister of Bangladesh assisted the ULFA in training up its cadres at the behest of the ISI. (Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 13, 1999)

The director-general of Nagaland Police has been asked to submit a report on the allegation levelled by the NSCN (I-M) faction that Jamir government has been funnelling funds to Naga Federal Group (NFG), a separatist outfit, even as the Naga ceasefire between the government of India and NSCN (I-M) is all set to be extended for another year. Although, a certain degree of uncertainty and crept into the fate of the ceasefire that expires of July 31, following toughening of stand by both the NSCN (I-M) leadership and ministry of home affairs (MHA), after monitoring the outcome of the last round of Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG) discussion held last week it is fairly certain that it would be extended yet again. Meanwhile the DGP of Nagaland police has been directed to submit a report on involvement of the state government with the NFG at the next meeting of CFMG. A decision to order an inquiry by the DGP was taken at the June meeting of the CFMG, when the NSCN (I-M) representatives alleged that Jamir government had paid Rs 10 lakh to the NFG for purchase of arms, with a promise to pay another Rs 40 lakh. The NFG is a relatively new outfit, by nurturing which they believe the Nagaland Chief Minister, SC Jamir plans to oppose the domain of the NSCN (I-M) faction. Interestingly although, the NSCN representatives could not furnish details of the alleged payments, the government side decided to go ahead and investigate the allegation on the basis of the clues provided by the Naga representatives. The Nagaland Chief Minister, significantly during his last meeting with the Prime Minister as well as the Union Home Minister raised the issue of Naga peace talks suggesting that government of India should involve other groups operating in the state in the talks process. His indications were towards the Khaplang faction, the NFG and other groups operating in Nagaland. (Assam Tribune; New Delhi; July 16, 1999)

The Nagaland government has claimed that overall situation in the state during 1998-99 remained peaceful even as the Opposition parties charged the government with failing to maintain peace and amity. In its annual administrative report, the State Home department claimed that 'barring some stray incidents of violence, the law-and-order situation by and large remained peaceful during the year.' The report was tabled on Tuesday on the opening day of the ongoing week-long Budget session of the State Assembly. During the period, antisocial elements were dealt with firmly and till the end of February last, 85 undergrounds of various groups were arrested, out of which 23 had been detained under National Security Act (NSA), the report said. According to the report, 21 arms of various types and sizeable quantity of ammunition were recovered from 672 criminals arrested and booked under different provisions of law. Police also seized 1,506 kg of ganja, 38,212 capsules of banned drugs and 23 grams of heroin, and culprits involved in those cases had been charge-sheeted. The department claimed that the money looted from Zunheboto SBI branch during Christmas was recovered by state police personnel and 12 culprits involved in the incident were arrested. However, NSCN (I-M) had earlier claimed that their senior leaders took prompt action when they were informed that lower level cadres of the organisation robbed the bank branch in connivance with police personnel guarding the bank and recovered the looted money. Out of Rs 1.83 crore looted from the bank, so far Rs 1.77 crore has been recovered. To make Nagaland police force more combat-oriented in dealing with law-and-order problems, the Centre extended Rs 9 crore for upgradation and modernisation under Tenth Finance Commission awards, out of which Rs 5.5 crore had already been approved, the report said. The Centre also sanctioned Rs 2.19 crore as special assistance for modernisation of the police force, besides providing vehicles, arms and ammunition worth Rs 6.14 crore. The report claimed that the government paid special attention for welfare of policemen during the year. (Assam Tribune; Kohima; July 16, 1999)

The banned militant outfit Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) has unilaterally decided to suspend its Operation Orgeng with immediate effect "to honour the sovereignty of the country" and urged the Centre to invite it for talks to amicably solve the vexed Bodo problem. In a press release to the local media here on Wednesday night, the BLT publicity wing in-charge Tulunga Ramchiary said the decision was taken in view of the country currently facing a national crisis. It said Pakistan's ISI and other anti-national separatist forces are taking advantage of the situation to work against the sovereignty of the country. (Press Trust of India; Guwahati; July 15, 1999)

ULFA and NDFB insurgents were working overtime at the behest of ISI to destroy the economy and peace of Assam, GOC 4 Corps Lt Gen D B Shekatkar said here on Thursday. He regretted that on the one hand, young soldiers of Assam and the Northeast were making supreme sacrifices to safeguard national integrity, on the other, Assam insurgents were helping Pakistan and its ISI agents who were bent on killing innocent people. (Press Trust of India; Guwahati; July 15, 1999)

Four persons, including three CRPF jawans were killed and three others seriously injured in an ambush by identified activists near Kangchip in Manipur's Imphal West district on Thursday, official sources said. The activists armed with automatic weapons ambushed three vehicles of 12^th Bn CRPF coming here from Kangchup at about 0930 hours. Three jawans were killed by the shots fired by the militants during the ambush and as many seriously injured, the sources said. A civilians was also killed by a stray bullet during the exchange of fire between the activists and the CRPF, the sources said.(Press Trust of India; Imphal; July 15, 1999)

Armed activists raided the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp at Khuman Lampak area in Manipur's Imphal West district on Saturday, official sources said. However, no casualty was reported in the attack which took place at the camp of 114 Bn CRPF on Saturday afternoon, the sources said, adding, the two activists escaped on a two-wheeler before security reinforcements rushed to the area. This was the second militant attack by activists in Manipur over a span of three days. The first incidents was at Kangchup area in which four persons, including three CRPF personnel, were killed and three others seriously injured in the same district on July 15. (Press Trust of India; Imphal; July 17, 1999)

The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has drawn up an exhaustive plan for launching major offensives, including bomb blasts, during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Assam even as it conspires to sabotage troop movement from here to Kargil. Official sources said here on Saturday quoted the ULFA western unit women's wing leader Minati Sutradhar alias Nizara Medhi as stating that the militants were undergoing intensive training on detonation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and were instructed to remain prepared for any situation during the hustings. Minati made the confessions during interrogation by the Border Security Force (BSF). She was recently apprehended along with two others in Bongaigaon district when they had slipped into the state to take back the outfit's women activists who left their camp in bordering Bhutan following pressure from that country's government. The sources also said that the ULFA women's wing leader informed that the outfit was facing an acute financial crunch as its extortion sources had dried up and due to restriction on cadres' movement by the leadership. The ultras were now forced to shift many of their camps to Arunachal Pradesh due to the Bhutan government's action, sources said. (Press Trust of India; Guwahati; July 17, 1999)