The Army has raised alarm about presence of 'sleeper agents' of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence among the large 'migrated population' in Assam and alleged that 'external forces' were playing a role in helping the banned ULFA.

During interaction with media persons on Wednesday, the GOC in C of the 4 Corps of Indian Army [Images], Lt General R K Chhabra said: "The Pakistani ISI, which is backing the ULFA in cooperation with the Director General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in Bangladesh, has sleeper agents amongst the migrated population living in river isles and other remote locations in the state."

The Army official said, "The role of external forces in the insurgency is obvious given that top ULFA leaders are sitting in Bangladesh, thanks to the ISI and DGFI. Jehadi groups from Bangladesh are providing all kinds moral and material to the ULFA. There are jehadi elements among the immigrant population in the state."

"As on date, they are not into terrorism in a big way, but involved in gun running, fake currency rackets and drugs running. Some of them went to Bangladesh for training and are now lying low as sleeping agents of the ISI," he added.

He commented that of late, the level of coordination among security agencies from neighbouring states of Assam had improved a lot in respect of checking the inter-state movements of insurgents.

Lt Gen Chabbra said ULFA ultras tended to escape to insurgency-affected Tirap and Changlang districts of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh to escape the pressure of security forces inside Assam.

He also ruled out the possibility of the ULFA setting up fresh camps in neighbouring Bhutan. The he said the Army was in close contact with its counterparts in Bhutan and there was no evidence as such to believe that the ULFA had set up fresh camps in the Himalayan kingdom.

According to the Army official the ULFA of late turned its eye on vulnerable teenaged boys from very poor families of remote areas of the state for recruitment to its ranks.

"These poverty-stricken boys have been either lured into the ULFA ranks or coerced to join the outfit," Lt Gen Chhabra said.

The Army official said that the ULFA used the 43 days of unilateral truce declared by the government of India during August and September this year to regroup and replenish its arsenal and coffer.

He said post September 23, the day Army resumed operation against ULFA on expiry of the unilateral truce by the GOI, the militant group triggered 29 improvised explosive devices and grenades, killing at least 20 civilians and injured 106. The ULFA has triggered 66 bomb and grenade blasts so far this year killing 37 civilians.

However, the Army, which has been engaged in counter-insurgency operation in Asam since Novemver 27, 1990, believes that its role vis-�-vis insurgency is confined to creating the ground for a political process to take place for finding a permanent solution.

Lt General Chhabra said, "Operations against the ULFA and the peace process should go hand in hand. As far as terrorism is concerned it will be finally a political solution. There is scope for win and loss for the security forces in battle against terrorists."