• Source:JND
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The Indian Army has strongly refuted claims that it conducted drone attacks on the eastern headquarters of the proscribed insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) in neighboring Myanmar. The ULFA-I on Sunday alleged that several drone strikes were conducted by what it called "colonial occupational forces", killing at least 19 cadres and wounding another 19 at its Myanmar camp. In a fresh statement, the proscribed group also alleged that during the funeral ceremony of senior commander ‘Lieutenant General’ Nayan Asom, reportedly killed in an earlier drone strike, a missile attack killed two more top leaders: “Brigadier” Ganesh Asom and “Colonel” Pradip Asom.

Army, Assam Police Deny Any Role In Myanmar Strikes

Responding to these allegations, Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, Defence PRO Guwahati, stated to IANS, "There are no inputs with the Indian Army on any such operation." Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also made it clear that the Assam Police were not involved and there was no offensive action taken from the territory of Assam. "Defence officials normally issue a statement in case such incidents happen. Till now, no such statement has been put out except denials," Sarma said.

Sources close to the situation cited by IANS said the reported attacks were the result of infighting among different banned groups operating along the seepage-prone India-Myanmar border. According to local media reports Myanmar's Sagaing Division indicates that bases of other rebel groups, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) or NSCN(K), also could have been fired upon by drones. Both ULFA(I) and NSCN(K) have long used hideouts along Myanmar's borders.

ULFA(I) Is Assam's Only Active Insurgent Organisation

Myanmar Tatmadaw (military) is now engaged in a series of ethnic militias and pro-democracy groups, resulting in a precarious security situation along India's Northeast. Rebel groups such as ULFA(I) and Manipuri insurgent groups have frequently utilized Myanmar's inaccessible forested belts as sanctuaries to carry out cross-border attacks.

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The Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(I) is the lone active extremist organization in Assam that has never signed any peace agreement with the Government of India. Baruah, who is suspected to have connections with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and operates from the China-Myanmar frontier region, has seen his group considerably weakened over the last few years. In May this year, top ULFA(I) commander Rupom Asom was detained by Assam Police, further eroding the group's leadership cadre.

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Cross-border militant operations have been a persistent thorn in the side of Indian security agencies. In May 2025, at least 10 militants were gunned down during an encounter with security forces along Manipur's Chandel district, along the India-Myanmar border. Security analysts cited by IANS opine that the porous and hilly topography still remains a challenge in limiting militant movement.