Army pledges to clear area upto New Lajang on Indo-Myanmar border by month end

The "Operation Somtal-2" which commenced from middle of November last is the third of its kind launched by the security forces in Chandel area.

At least two major operations in 2006 (in January and December) had failed to clear the area of the UNLF presence. On November 18, the Army launched a two-pronged operation in New Somtal, targeting the `293rd battalion` of the UNLF.

Current operations under the aegis of Headquarter 3 Corps and Headquarter IGAR (S) comprising of whole battalion of 44 Assam Rifles, 6 Assam Rifles and 10 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry started forward movement from Hollenjang village located some 119 km from Tengnoupal sub-divisional headquarters.

Security forces based on intelligence input believed that around 250 cadres of UNLF including some important leaders are still at Lajang village which is yet to be dominated by the troops involved in the operation.

According to them the operation will continue till they take control of the area upto the international border with Myanmar and make the movment of the villagers secure.

"Our main concern is to flush out the UGs and secure the place by removing IED`s planted by undergrounds," said Brigadier Raymond Noronha who is in overall command of the ongoing "Operation Somtal-2" to the visiting media team.

The media team proceeded upto Changjal village from Hollengjang which is around 17 km from Changjal which the brigadier in charge there declared secure and safe for the villagers to move in.

The media team also spotted the army developing play grounds and distributing sports material to the villagers.

The team also spotted a bunker just on the roadside at Sehlon village, a village located before reaching Changjal and around 15 km from Hollenjang, which according to the villagers was erected by the undergrounds.

"UGs keep coming and going at our village but they never stay for a long time," said Jamkhothang Mate of Sehlon village.

As commented by the villagers, the coming of the army to their village could improve their living conditions somewhat as they (army) buy their produce and give a source of income by engaging them as labour.

"The Army pays for the work they engaged us for," a villager said.

Regarding the army`s civic action in the area dominated by them, one army engineering corps has so far constructed a play ground by using JCB and bull dozers at Phelun which has a population of around 70 heads. The population of the village reduced from around 200, as many villagers had moved to Moreh and Sugnu in search of a living and for higher studies which they could not get at the village and nearby areas.

The village has only one private school run by one Lalboy, having upto standard VII only.

The hardship of life in the area is compounded by the fact that villagers have to go to Myanmar for their essential commodities. A place named Bokan on the Myanmar side is the nearest place where they do their essential shopping.

At a small market across the border in Bokan, the villagers sell their agricultural produce and trek back to their village after buying their daily requirements.

Talking on the experience of presence of undergrounds in their villages, villagers said `they provides us the much needed medicines and other things. But our main problem with them is they restrict our free movement`.

The villagers believed that the UGs restricted them in their free movement because of presence of IEDs at various places in the jungle.

The road from Tengnoupal to Changjal has been made jeepable but the media team could not proceed beyond Changjal owing to the restrictions from the army authorities, who have declared the area unsafe for civilian movement as they are yet to clear it from all sorts of dangers.

"Our men had dominated upto Somtal which is again 16 km from Changjal and by the end of this month we will reach New Lajang village on the Indo-Myanmar border," Brigadier RN said with a high hope of achieving the army`s goal this time.

In further talks, the brigadier admitted that the 25-day long "Operation Somtal-1" which was launched in the month of 2006 December had to be cut short due to shortage of manpower along with the coming up of the elections and Christmas festival.