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United Liberation Front of Assam | |
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Leaders | Paresh Baruah, Arabinda Rajkhowa (POW), Pradip Gogoi (POW), Anup Chetia (POW), Raju Baruah (POW), Sashadhar Choudhury (POW), Chitraban Hazarika (POW), Mithinga Daimary (POW), Pranati Deka (POW) |
Dates of operation | 7 April 1979 – 29 December 2023(44 years)[Ulfa-pro truce faction] 7 April 1979 – present (45 years) [Ulfa-I] |
Split to | United Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I) United Liberation Front of Asom (Pro-truce faction) |
Allegiance | United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia |
Group(s) | Political Wing Sanjukta Mukti Fouj (Armed Wing) |
Motives | Establishment of an independent Assam |
Headquarters | Myanmar and China |
Active regions | Assam, India |
Ideology | Assamese nationalism[1] Socialism[2] |
Status | Active(ULFA-I) Surrendered (ULFA-pro truce faction) |
Size | 900-1200(2007) 200 (2024) |
Opponents | Government of India al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (2016–present) |
Battles and wars | Insurgency in Northeast India |
Designated as a terrorist group by | India |
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is an armed militant organisation operating in the Northeast Indian state of Assam.[3][4][5] It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle in the Assam conflict. The Government of India banned the organisation in 1990 citing it as a terrorist organisation,[6] while the United States Department of State lists it under "other groups of concern".[7]
According to ULFA (Assamese militant) sources, it was founded on 7 April 1979[3][8] at Rang Ghar and began operations in 1990. Sunil Nath, former Central Publicity Secretary and spokesman of ULFA has stated that the organisation established ties with the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland in 1983 and with the Burma based Kachin Independent Army in 1987. Military operations against the ULFA by the Indian Army began in 1990 and continue into the present. On 5 December 2009, the chairman and the deputy commander-in-chief of ULFA was taken into Indian custody.[9] In 2011, there was a major crackdown on the ULFA in Bangladesh, which greatly assisted the government of India in bringing ULFA leaders to talks. In January 2010, ULFA softened its stance and dropped demands for independence as a condition for talks with the Government of India.[10]
On 3 September 2011, a tripartite agreement for "Suspension of Operations" agreement was signed by the Indian government, the Assam government and the ULFA.[11][12]
On November 1, 2018, suspected militants of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) killed five people and injured one in Tinsukia district, Assam. The attackers, reportedly traveling on motorcycles, opened fire on a group of youths playing ludo at a dhaba in Kherbari village. The victims, all Bengali-speaking workers, were identified as Subal Das, Dhanai Namsudra, Anant Biswas, Shyamal Biswas, and Abinash Biswas. The group's actions reflect a xenophobic stance, particularly hostile towards non-Assamese communities.[13]