Nine months after the UPA government pulled back the Indian Army from the Tinsukia forests in Assam in the midst of an operation against ULFA, the Defence Ministry this week gave it the go ahead to resume operations against the militant outfit.

The Army’s formations in Assam have received word from the Defence Ministry that the operations against ULFA must get going. In a letter to the Tezpur-based 4 Corps with inputs from the Military Operations directorate, South Block has essentially clarified that with the Assembly Elections in Assam complete, it was time for operational duties to continue.

Officially, the Army neither confirmed nor denied the Defence Ministry’s instructions, but indicated that ‘‘forces were carrying out their duties’’ and that ‘‘the Defence Ministry’s instructions are ongoing for a counter-insurgency scenario.’’

The Indian Express had first reported late last year how the Army cordon around an ULFA camp in the Dibrugarh-Saikhowa National Park in upper Assam in September last was effectively called off at the last minute, apparently for political reasons. Since then, the government has been under pressure from the Left to talk with the ULFA but not to call off operations.

The Defence Ministry’s word, copied to Integrated Defence Headquarters and the Army’s Eastern Command in Kolkata, come in the light of a meeting of the Unified Command on June 11. Chaired by Assam chief secretary S Kabilan, the state government had asked for clarity from the Centre, which was represented by Home Ministry joint secretary for the North East Rajiv Agarwal, on what the approach, dialogue or operations, was to be taken in battling the outfit. The Defence Ministry’s word this week is therefore a clear answer.

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