ULFA-I claims drone strikes on its headquarters in Myanmar, Indian Army denies

The Indian Army has denied claims by banned ULFA (I) that it carried out drone strikes on their Myanmar base, killing 19 cadres. The Army says no such operation occurred, though ULFA (I) insists senior leaders were targeted and killed

New Delhi: The Indian Army has denied that it had carried out drone attacks on the eastern headquarters of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) in Myanmar.

The banned ULFA-I on Sunday claimed that its Eastern headquarters in Myanmar had been targeted by the Indian Army with drones in the early hours. The proscribed outfit in a press statement claimed that in these cross-border strikes, their 19 cadres have been killed and another 19 injured.

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Reports indicate that senior ULFA (I) commander Nayan Medhi was killed in the attack, and some cadres of Manipuri insurgent groups, including Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), which is the political wing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur present at the camp, were also killed and some injured.

However, in an official statement, the India Army has denied these claims. Talking to IANS from Guwahati, Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, PRO Defence Guwahati, said, “There are no inputs with the Indian Army on such an operation.”

It is worth noting here that ULFA (I), headed by Paresh Barua, is now left with only one senior functionary, Arunodoy Dohotiya, who is in Myanmar. Another senior ULFA (I) commander operating out of Myanmar camps, Rupom Asom, was arrested by Assam Police in May.

Sources revealed that Baruah, who has deep links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and was reportedly staying in bordering areas of China-Myanmar-India (Arunachal Pradesh), is at the lowest point of his militant career.

People familiar with the matter told IANS that these attacks on ULFA (I) headquarters could be due to the infighting amongst these banned outfits. Notably, Myanmar, which is presently being ruled by the Tatmadaw (Army), is witnessing a spate of attacks by several militant outfits, and the India-Myanmar border has been used several times by these proscribed outfits, such as ULFA (I), to set up their camps there.

The fighting near the border has been a matter of deep concern for the Indian security establishment. In May 2025, at least 10 militants were killed in an encounter with security forces near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Chandel district.