Guwahati: Security forces have achieved a significant breakthrough, recovering an MQ rifle, three magazines, and 120 rounds of ammunition, following the recent arrest of Rupam Asom, the ‘operational commander’ of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-Independent).
The crucial intelligence leading to this recovery was gleaned from Rupam Asom himself and a surrendered cadre, Biju Asom.
The successful operation, a collaborative effort by the Assam Police, 23 Assam Rifles, and Military Intelligence Kolkata, unfolded on May 25 in the Namsai area. This swift follow-up action was initiated just a day after Rupam Asom’s capture on May 24 from a dense forested area near the inter-state boundary. His apprehension was a result of a joint operation spearheaded by the Assam Police, 23 Assam Rifles, and Military Intelligence.
Rupam Asom was reportedly at the helm of ULFA(I)’s extortion ring in Upper Assam. He is also prominently named in the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) chargesheet concerning the 2018 killing of Bhaskar Kalita, the then officer-in-charge of Bordumsa Police Station, a case that shook the region.
The surrendered cadre, Biju Asom, played a pivotal role in providing information. It has come to light that Biju Asom had absconded with the MQ rifle from Rupam Asom’s group in Arunachal Pradesh’s Namsai district on March 22, 2025, before subsequently surrendering before the Superintendent of Police, Sibsagar.
Officials have confirmed that extensive search operations are currently underway across the region, as security forces continue their relentless pursuit to locate and apprehend other cadres linked to the banned militant organisation.