IM camp razed to the ground in AP
Source: The Sangai Express / (Agencies)
Khonsa, December 19 2011:
A major training camp of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) faction was unearthed and destroyed at Longbo village, camouflaged deep inside jungle in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, a sensitive area bordering China and Myanmar.
Security forces destroyed the training camp on Saturday night, giving a major blow to the insurgent outfit just before the Chirstmas and the New Year.
Intelligence officials said: "Tirap and Changlang districts in particular have been traditional sustenance zones as well as escape routes (to Myanmar and beyond) for bigger militant outfits" .
The IM and Khaplang factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland and United Liberation Front of Asom use these two Arunachal Pradesh districts as their hideouts.
Of late, Maoists are also learnt to have also made inroads into the area.
Working on a tip off about the training camp deep in the jungles near Longbu, not far from Indo-Myanmar border, a plan was chalked out and a joint operation was conducted by the forces of the 19 Assam Rifles along with 36 battalion of the Central Reserve Police and Arunachal Police Sunday to destroy the camp.
As the operation began, the cadres protecting the camp retaliated by detonating a lethal improvised explosive device but on seeing bold and swift advance of the security forces, the militants retreated into dense jungle.
The forces completely brought down the camp, which was big enough to house 4050 cadres, containing more than a dozen temporary huts including kitchen and training area, besides stores, like IEDs and explosives were also destroyed by the bomb disposal team.
The entire operation was conducted for over 36 hours that ended on Sunday.
The prompt and bold act of the forces evoked appreciation and sense of relief by local populace and civil administration, as it would serve as a morale booster to the denizens of the district, an official release said.