Both Tirap and Changlang are located along the India-Myanmar border, beyond which the NSCN(K) has two major camps. While one such camp is used by the ULFA’s 28th battalion, the other camp is said to house three other groups—ULFA, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the last two being Manipur-based groups.

In January, many ULFA cadres fled from Tinsukia and took refuge in Arunachal Pradesh following a crackdown after the rebels had killed over 60 Hindi-speaking people in the same district.

For the army, the main problem is the non-existence of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the Disturbed Areas Act. This year, at least 25 ULFA rebels have been apprehended and about half a dozen killed by the army in the state.