India Accused of Drone Strikes on Rebel Camps in Myanmar

[geovalin]

ULFA

 

A rebel group based in Manipur has accused Indian security forces of launching drone attacks on insurgent camps inside Myanmar, killing at least one senior figure from the separatist group Ulfa-Independent (Ulfa-I) and injuring others.

 

In a statement issued Monday, the Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), the political wing of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA), claimed over 150 bombs were dropped by drones between midnight Saturday and early Sunday. The attacks reportedly targeted four Ulfa-I camps and one joint PLA-Ulfa-I facility.

 

According to the RPF, no casualties were reported on the PLA side, but Ulfa-I later confirmed the death of its “Lower Council” chairman Nayan Asom, along with two other leaders. Twenty members were said to be injured in the cross-border assault.

 

Ulfa-I alleges that the strikes were carried out from Indian territory near Langwa village in Nagaland and Pangsu Pass in Arunachal Pradesh — both along the porous Indo-Myanmar border. In a series of email statements, the group condemned what it called “unprovoked aggression” and accused New Delhi of sabotaging ongoing peace efforts in Assam.

 

Indian army officials in Assam and Nagaland have denied knowledge of any such operation. However, the lack of clarity has sparked political fallout.

 

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi called for immediate answers, warning that such attacks—if confirmed—could derail fragile peace talks. “The Assamese people deserve clarity. If this strike occurred, it could jeopardise the ongoing peace process,” he said in a social media post.

 

Talks between the Indian government and a moderate Ulfa faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa have made progress in recent years. However, Paresh Baruah’s Ulfa-I has refused to participate, demanding negotiations on Assam’s sovereignty — a red line for the Indian state.

 

The insurgent camps reportedly house multiple rebel outfits, including the NSCN and RPF-aligned PLA, many of whom cooperate across Myanmar and Bangladesh.

 

With both sides trading accusations and official silence from India’s military, the alleged drone attack has raised serious questions about covert operations, sovereignty, and the future of peace in the Northeast.

 

-2025-07-15