Kohima, Sept. 12: Dismissing speculation, the Khaplang group of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) said Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Barua is in China and not in Myanmar.

Rubbishing reports of Barua being in Myanmar, taking shelter in Khaplang’s headquarters, kilonser (minister) for information and publicity, Wangtin Naga told The Telegraph over phone from his hideout somewhere in Mon district that Barua is currently in Yunnan province of China.

“Currently he is not on our soil but in Yunnan province in China which is quite far away from the Nagas’ land,” Wangtin said.

Recently there were reports of the elusive Ulfa leader being injured in an attack on Khaplang’s camp by the Myanmar military.

The NSCN (K) said the reports were totally false as Barua is in China. He said there was heavy presence of military near the Khaplang camp which is also known as “council headquarters”, but the rebels had taken up strong position in the area.

The spokesman for the Khaplang faction also said currently the Myanmar military is carrying out operations against the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) close to the Naga-inhabited area. Envoy to the collective leadership of the outfit, Kughalu Mulatonu, quoting reports from Myanmar, said the military might have overrun a few mobile camps of the NSCN (K) but there was no report of any casualty.

Mulatonu said some weeks back New Delhi had supplied over 50 truckloads of arms and ammunition to Myanmar to flush out Indian rebels taking refuge in Myanmar.

Another spokesperson for the outfit, P. Tikhak, said around 400 troops moved inside the base area of the Khaplang faction last week but said they had taken adequate measures to prevent them from coming deeper inside the base area.

“Chairman S.S. Khaplang is safe and under a well and highly protective group,” Tikhak said. On September 9, the military also attacked some NSCN (K) cadres in the area. NSCN (K) sources said there had been heavy mobilisation of Myanmar army in divisional headquarters in Khamfi, Namjung and Mytkhina. The outfit sources said the military mobilisation is to attack the NSCN (K) and other groups based in Myanmar. Tikhak said all the camps had been put on maximum alert stating that given the nature of the military build-up in the area, a full-fledged war cannot be ruled out and would prolong for some months.

Mulatonu and Tikhak have expressed resentment to the government of India for supplying arms and ammunition to Myanmar to wage war against the NSCN (K), while on the other hand, talks of peace are on.

Wangtin said the Assam Rifles raided the house of “colonel” Apan Konyak at Mon Town around 12.30pm today and damaged household articles, besides taking away Rs 40,000.