Indian Army's Myanmar operation: Army steps up attack on Assam militant groups

GUWAHATI: After its crackdown on militants in Myanmar, the Indian Army on Wednesday stepped up heat on the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB-S) in Assam.

In the wee hours of Wednesday, Myanmar-trained Prajit Brahmo alias B Laodar was killed in an army ambush in Parbatjhora Reserve Forest in Kokrajhar district. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has welcomed the army strike on insurgent outfits in Myanmar.

The NDFB(S), which is reeling under sustained offensive by the security forces causing severe attrition to its strength, suffered yet another setback in the army onslaught, the defence forces said.The army seized one pistol, two grenades and few live rounds from Laodar. "Laodar was a very close associate of newly appointed commander-in-chief of NDFB(S) B Rongjabaja. He was sent to Kokrajhar with a task to revive the Dhubri Platoon of NDFB(S)," Lieutenant Colonel Suneet Newton, public relation officer (defence), said.

NSCN TRASHES ATTACK REPORTS

The Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) on Wednesday termed reports of it suffering casualty in Army operations as "baseless". It has challenged the army to display or come out with the bodies of cadres killed in the attack. "The topography shown on television does not exist. We do not have a wellmaintained footpath or the pine garden that was shown," it said.