From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: The insurgency may be on the wane in Assam, but the proliferation of foreign-made illegal weapons in the state has remained a cause for concern, say senior officials of Red Horn Division of Indian Army engaged in counter-insurgency (CI) operations in Assam.
“Since 2008, Red Horn Division has got hold of over 1400 pieces of sophisticated weapons during various counter terror operations. The inflow of small arms has remained a cause for concern as it helps formation of new smaller insurgent outfits in the state where major militant groups have shown interests for holding dialogue with the government,” said Col K S Brar of the Army Division with headquarter at Rangiya, about 50 kilometers from here.
So far this year the Army division has recovered 222 such weapons while the figures for the year 2008 is 366 weapons, 461 in 2009 and 430 in 2010.
The Army Division informed that because of increasing number of timely inputs provided by local people the Army has been successful in recovering large number of improvised explosive devices in time besides apprehending/eliminating a large number of cadres of ULFA, NDFB and other groups.
It has apprehended 789 militants in 2008, 921 in 2009, 635 in 2010 and 320 so far this year. The corresponding figures for recovery of weapons from the militants are 366 in 2008, 461 in 2009, 430 in 2010 and 222 so far this year. It recovered 31 IEDs in 2008, 110 in 009, 48 in 2010 and 30so far this year.
The incidence of IED blasts and firing by militants have come down in Assam in recent years. There were 22 IED blasts and 22 incidents of firing in the state in 2008. The figures for the subsequent three years are: 19 IED blasts and 56 incidents of firing in 2009; 10 IED blasts and 29 incidents of firing in 2010; six IED blasts and five incidents of firing so far this year.
Another top official of the Red Horn division claimed that increasing support from people towards counter-insurgency operations over the years has paid rich dividends in putting the insurgents on the back foot.