Army Chief in Assam to plan CO-IN strategy

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag will hold a closed-door strategy meeting with senior army officials in Guwahati to review the prevailing situation in Assam where 81 people have been killed following attacks by NDFB(S) militants.

The army has intensified counter-insurgency operations and area domination in all the violence affected areas to stabilise the situation but there was no fresh operation launched so far.

Suhag, who arrived in Guwahati on Saturday, will hold a closed-door strategy meeting with senior army officials, a defence spokesman said.

The commanders are keeping a close watch on the ground situation and reviews are being carried out dynamically to deal with the situation, the spokesman added.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to the state on Thursday had said the government would adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards the terrorists, while Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had asked the Unified Command to prepare a time-bound road map to eliminate terror groups such as NDFB (S)

and start intensified operations.

There was no report of any fresh violence and the total death toll in the recent attacks and police firing remains 81.

An estimated 72,675 persons in the four affected districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Sonitpur and Udalguri have taken shelter in 61 relief camps, CEO of Assam State Disaster Management Authority P K Tiwary said. 

In Kokrajhar district, approximately 40,000 inmates are living in 36 relief camps, in Chirang 14,920 inmates in 11 camps, in Sonitpur, 9,650 inmates are in nine relief camps and in Udalguri 8,105 inmates are in five relief camps.