Myanmar-Arunachal border sealed as operations continues

Guwahati, June 10 (UNI) The Arunachal-Myanmar border has been sealed as the Army and Asom Rifles (AR) continued their operation in the Namdapha Reserve Forest in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh to flush out ULFA rebels taking shelter there.

Defence sources said the international border has been sealed to prevent the movement of militants into and out of the country.

The jungles in the Arunachal-Myanmar border has served as a safe haven for the ULFA rebels, who also use it as a transit route to escape into the neighbouring country.

Intelligence inputs suggest that after the security forces' crackdown in various parts of Asom and Manabum reserve forest of Arunachal Pradesh, ULFA rebels were taking shelter in the Namdapha jungles bordering Myanmar.

As the security forces have laid the jungles under siege, heavy rains have impeded their advance.

Rising water level of the rivulets in and around the jungles have retarded the movement of the troops.

An AR official said there has been no casualty as yet.

Food and medical supply to the rebels have been cut off, while the villages on the outskirts of the forest have been kept under close vigil.

Additional forces fanned out to the area yesterday to aid massive operation, which comes a week after top police and Army officials met in Guwahati to chalk out a fresh strategy against the ULFA in the wake of the recent spurt in violence.

Meanwhile, a woman cadre of the outfit was arrested by police at Titabor in upper Asom last night.

Trained in Myanmar, the rebel - Promita Saikia alias Riju Bhuyan - is a member of the outfit,s '28th battalion' and a resident of Lakhimpur.

In another incident one Cheterfield Sujam was killed by unknown miscreants at his residence at Jatinga, 9 km from Haflong, in NC Hills district last night.

The victim hails from the Jaintia community.

Police are yet to ascertain the identity of the miscreants.

UNI