Assam Police say 'mass casualty terror attack' foiled; 2 ULFA-I cadres arrested

📌 Summary:

• Assam Police claimed to have averted a "mass casualty terror attack" after arresting two armed ULFA-I (United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent) cadres at Jagun in Tinsukia district
• The two — self-styled "second lieutenants" Humenjyoti Baruah (27) and Papu Moran (30) — were allegedly tasked to carry out indiscriminate firing on civilians in Tinsukia town to spread fear; police said the modus operandi suggested the influence of "external actors" to destabilise the region
• Seizures included two AK-56 rifles, 172 rounds of ammunition, two hand grenades, food supplies for "prolonged jungle survival", backpacks and cash
• The duo were linked to recent ULFA-I attacks, including a March 2026 strike on a police commando post at Jagun that killed four personnel and an attack on an army camp at Kakopathar that injured three
• Context: the pro-talks ULFA faction signed a tripartite peace pact with the Union and Assam governments on December 29, 2023; the ULFA-I faction led by Paresh Baruah, operating from Myanmar, still rejects talks unless Assam's sovereignty is discussed

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Internal Security — insurgency in the Northeast, the role of external actors/cross-border sanctuaries, and the politics of peace accords vs. holdout factions.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• ULFA = United Liberation Front of Asom; the "Independent" (ULFA-I) faction is led by Paresh Baruah and operates from Myanmar
• The pro-talks ULFA faction signed a tripartite peace agreement on December 29, 2023
• Tinsukia district lies in eastern Assam, near the Arunachal Pradesh/Myanmar frontier

🔑 Key Term: Tripartite peace accord — a settlement signed jointly by the Union government, the state government and the insurgent/militant group to end armed conflict.