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| Afghanistan/South Asia | |
| India tightens border to stop Bang rebels | |
| 2005-06-04 | |
| GUWAHATI, India - India has put its northeastern border guards on high alert to stop rebels infiltrating from Bangladesh during a crackdown there on Indian guerrillas, a top paramilitary officer said on Friday. "We were formally informed by Bangladesh that they were carrying out operations in their territory against Indian militants," S.C. Srivastava, inspector general of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), told AFP. "We've put our troops on high alert to prevent fleeing rebels from Bangladesh sneaking into our territory." New Delhi has repeatedly urged Dhaka to take action against Indian militant camps inside Bangladesh that it says attack Indian targets in the northeast, home to several insurgent groups fighting for autonomy or independence. Srivastava's statement came ahead of foreign secretary level talks between the two countries in New Delhi on June 20. He said he had no details of the planned crackdown. No immediate comment was available from Bangladesh, which earlier has denied the presence of any Indian rebel bases on its soil.
Indian intelligence officials say top leaders of northeastern rebel groups such as the United Liberation Front of Asom, the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force are holed up in Bangladesh. "We're happy to find Bangladesh reacting to our pleas and the military offensive currently on vindicates our stand," another senior BSF commander said, asking to remain unnamed. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |