Jubilant UNLFW shares image of arms

The five rebel groups that coalesced to form the United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW) today released a photograph of arms seized during a gun battle with security forces early this month.

UNLFW, an umbrella outfit comprising NSCN(K) at the prime along with ULFA(I), NDFB(S), PLA and KLO spread across transnational boundaries was formed on April 17 with an attempt to struggle unifiedly to liberate their ancestral homes.

On May 3, seven Assam Rifles men of the 23rd battalion and one belonging to the 164th battalion of the Territorial Army died when they came upon an attack by UNLFW. The security forces were on their way to collect water from a source about 4 kilometers from their encampment between Changlangshu and Tobu in the district of Mon in Nagaland when they were ambushed upon with detonated IEDs and assault rifle shots.

Two UNLFW members also succumbed under retaliatory fire by the security forces.

The attack comes in close after the Modi led NDA government adopted a policy of "no talk with militant outfits indulging in violence and only action on them.”

UNLFW seized 5 Polish made Tantal assault rifles (3 PAKMS wz.88, 1 PAKMS wz.80, and 1 PAKMS wz.90) identical to the Soviet made Automatic Kalashnikov series and 1 Indian made INSAS rifle, totaling 6 assault rifles along with a wireless set from the slain security forces.

This is UNFW’S first and successful attack on security forces after its formation. To express its accomplishment following its ambush titled, "Operation Changlangshu", UNFW shared an image displaying the 6 seized assault rifles.