Morale low in ULFA

Guwahati, January 11: The security forces are mounting pressure on members of the outlawed militant outfit -- United Liberation Front of Ass...

Guwahati, January 11: The security forces are mounting pressure on members of the outlawed militant outfit — United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). In the past three days, three hard-core ULFA militants have been gunned down.

Meanwhile, the outfit is trying to whip up a frenzy against the government’s efforts to get ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia extradited from Bangladesh.Intelligence sources claimed that ULFA cadres in the State were virtually directionless without Chetia, one of the top two decision-makers in the outfit. This is supposed to have helped the security forces step up their campaign against the terrorist outfit.

Public opinion in the urban areas is turning against the militants as was evidenced by the hostile reaction of the local media to a recent poster campaign launched by the ULFA in Guwahati and several other towns urging Bangladesh to free their top leader considering the “background of the freedom struggle of Bangladesh”.

The death of the three ULFA militants, two in Karbi Anglong and one in Barpeta district on Thursday and Friday respectively, has also been attributed to the slumping morale. Sources also claimed that those living in the State’s rural areas had changed their stand towards the United Liberation Front of Asom. They are reportedly becoming reluctant to allow militants to use their villages as bases or hideouts.