Release abducted men, ULFA to NSCN-IM

Peeved at the killing of two United Liberation Front of Asom cadres and abduction of seven others by the Naga rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) on Sunday while they were travelling through Namtola forest areas in Mon district of Nagaland, the proscribed ULFA on Monday asked the Naga rebel group to release the abducted ULFA members without further delay.

In a statement e-mailed to the media, the ULFA publicity secretary Raju Baruah condemned the 'action' of Tangkhul Naga tribe faction within the NSCN-IM for attacking ULFA cadres and stated that such action on part the Naga rebel group wouldn't augur well for the age-old 'cordial relation' between the ULFA and the NSCN-IM.

The ULFA has called upon all other tribes of Nagaland to prevent the Tangkhul tribe led NSCN-IM from resorting to anti-ULFA activities and encroaching upon land belonging to Assam.

The ULFA statement said, "The ULFA has never opposed to Naga people travelling through Assam and the NSCN-IM shouldn't try to prevent ULFA cadres travelling through Nagaland in the interest of age-old friendly relations between the two groups."

The ULFA demanded that its seven abducted cadres be released unharmed by the NSCN-IM within three days as the ULFA has never attacked any Naga people travelling through Assam land.

As per earlier reports gleaned from Nagaland police, two rebels -- one each from the ULFA and NSCN-IM -- were killed following a clash between the two outfits at Namtola in Mon district of Nagaland.

The incident occurred when a group of ULFA men were proceeding to an unknown destination, probably in Myanmar through Nagaland.

The ULFA has been desperately looking for alternative routes to its Myanmar base after the Indian Army has virtually sealed off routes through Arunachal Pradesh forest areas bordering eastern Assam districts.