ULFA(I) claims missile strikes killed its commanders in Myanmar

GUWAHATI

The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), or ULFA (I), claimed a missile attack carried out by “colonial occupational forces” on its camp in Myanmar killed two of its top commanders on Sunday (July 13, 2025).

The outfit said in a statement that the attack was carried out during the funeral ceremony for another senior leader, ‘Lieutenant General’ Nayan Asom, killed earlier in a drone attack by the “occupational forces”.

Unconfirmed reports from Myanmar’s Sagaing Division said some camps of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) also came under drone attacks. The ULFA(I) and NSCN(K) are known to share camps in Myanmar.

The ULFA(I) said “Brigadier” Ganesh Asom and “Colonel” Pradip Asom lost their lives in the missile attack early Sunday (July 13, 2025) morning. It also claimed that several other members of the outfit and some civilians were injured.

“The occupational forces have continued the attack in the areas using fighter jets. We want to tell the indigenous people of Assam that we will avenge this brutal attack carried out by the colonial nation,” the ULFA(I) warned.

The ULFA(I), headed by Paresh Baruah, refers to New Delhi as a colonial power and the Indian armed forces as “occupational forces”.

The Indian Army and the paramilitary Assam Rifles guarding the 1,643 km India-Myanmar border said they were unaware of any bombardment in the neighbouring country, torn by a civil war following a military coup in February 2021.

“There are no inputs with us on the operation,” Guwahati-based Defence spokesperson, Lt. Col. Mahendra Rawat, said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he took note of the statement issued by the ULFA(I).

“The Assam Police are not involved, and no attack was carried out from Assam’s soil. Defence authorities usually issue statements after such incidents. They have not yet issued any,” he said.

The ULFA (I) is the only extremist group of Assam that has neither signed any peace accord with the government nor has been disbanded. It has refused to talk truce until New Delhi agrees to discussions on Assam’s sovereignty.