January 14, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 23, 1427

GUWAHATI, Jan 13: A militant group blamed for ethnic attacks that have killed 69 people in India's northeast threatened on Saturday to target politicians. The warning came as thousands of army and paramilitary troops fanned out across Assam state after separatist rebels killed scores of Hindi-speaking migrants last weekend.

Police say the rebels belong to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

“If any Assamese youth is killed in the ongoing army operations, the ULFA's 28th battalion would target and eliminate (ruling party) Congress leaders working at the grassroots and also state-level politicians,” said rebel leader Prabal Neog, according to local newspapers.

State authorities have told Congress workers and leaders to be on guard against attacks by the rebels, who have been fighting for an independent homeland in the oil, tea and timber-rich state since 1979.

“Security has been tightened across the state with many Congress leaders now being provided with police escorts,” a senior Assam police official said.

The Congress party-led government in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh state has also stepped up military operations following the attacks.

The army is seeking to flush out the rebels and soldiers were landing by helicopter in the thick jungle of the two states.

“The idea of the operation is to uproot bases, eliminate rebels or capture them,” an Indian army commander, who asked not to be named said.

“So far we have killed five rebels and captured at least six of them in separate raids.” The army official said the ethnic killings were carried out by a 30-member group of handpicked guerillas from the ULFA's 28th battalion.

“About 30 separatists armed with assault rifles and other sophisticated weapons actually carried out the brutal massacres in eastern Assam after splitting into smaller groups,” the army commander said.

ULFA has not claimed responsibility for the attacks, which have drawn widespread protests in Assam. But authorities say they have no doubt that the group was behind the massacres.—AFP