Dibrugarh, Feb. 6: The appointment of a former chief of army staff as the governor of Arunachal Pradesh was the signal and the Prime Minister’s strategy session with top officials in Lohitpur last week confirmation of the biggest military offensive against Ulfa in that state.

Top army sources said the plan to drive Ulfa out of its safest sanctuary in the Northeast was fine-tuned during Manmohan Singh’s recent visit to the state. Top army commanders briefed him on the strategy at the headquarters of the 82 Mountain Brigade in Lohitpur.

The recent appointment of Gen. (retd) J.J. Singh as governor is part of the larger plan. The former army chief had a stint in Arunachal Pradesh before he went on to head the military.

The army has identified five districts for a sustained operation. “Our focus will be on the districts of Tirap, Changlang, Lohit, Upper Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley. There will be more intensity in operations in these districts,” a senior army officer based in that state said.

The primary objective is to dismantle Ulfa bases in the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh and cut off links with its bases in Myanmar.

Assam has been asking for an intensive operation against Ulfa in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh and Mon district of Nagaland since last year, when militants killed 70-odd Hindi speakers in parts of Upper Assam. Ulfa uses both states as launch pads for its activities in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts.

“Unlike Assam, Arunachal Pradesh does not have a Unified Command structure (for counter-insurgency operations). Therefore, it will be very important for us if the army goes all out against the outfit in Arunachal Pradesh. If the outfit can be cornered there, half our job will be done,” a senior police official in Tinsukia said.

Ulfa has built strong bases in and around Manabhum reserve forest and Namdapha National Park. The two forests straddle Lohit and Changlang districts.

The outfit blew up a 2.5-tonne truck in Lohit district last year, killing two army personnel. A captain’s death during an operation in Tinsukia on February 27, a day after being named as one of the recipients of a Sena Medal for gallantry, steeled the army’s resolve to go for the kill.

“That (Capt. S.K. Chaudhury’s death) was the last straw. The Centre then decided to go for the kill. Ulfa is still thriving in isolated pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam,” the army officer said.