Army begins crackdown against ULFA

Thousands of soldiers backed by helicopters launched a massive crackdown against the ULFA in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the wake of the killing of 70 migrant workers by the banned group.

As helicopters hovered overhead, soldiers along with paramilitary and police forces fanned out in jungles where the ULFA is believed to have set up new bases, especially in upper Assam and bordering areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

There were reports that three militants were gunned down and an equal number arrested from a reserve forest in Darrang district.

"The military crackdown against the ULFA is in full swing. There has been substantial headway," an Army source said.

Security was tightened along Assam's borders with Tripura and Meghalaya and an alert sounded so that militants could not escape into neighbouring states.