United Liberation Front of Asom

United Liberation Front of Assam
LeadersParesh Baruah
Arabinda Rajkhowa (POW)
Pradip Gogoi (POW)
Anup Chetia (POW)
Raju Baruah (POW)
Sashadhar Choudhury (POW)
Chitraban Hazarika (POW)
Mithinga Daimary (POW)
Bolin Das (POW)
Pranati Deka (POW)
Dates of operation7 April 1979 – 29 December 2023(44 years)[Ulfa-pro truce faction]
7 April 1979 – present (46 years) [Ulfa-I]
Split toUnited Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I)
United Liberation Front of Asom (Pro-truce faction)
AllegianceUnited National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia
MotivesEstablishment of an independent Assam
HeadquartersMyanmar and China
Active regionsAssam, India
IdeologyAssamese nationalism
Socialism
StatusActive(ULFA-I)
Surrendered (ULFA pro-truce faction)
Size
  • 900–1200 (2007)
  • 200 (2024)
OpponentsGovernment of India al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (2016–present)
Battles and warsInsurgency in Northeast India Myanmar civil war (2021–present)
Designated as a terrorist group by India

The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is an armed separatist insurgent organisation, that operates in the Indian state of Assam. It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle via the Assam conflict. The Government of India banned the organisation and designated it as an terrorist organisation in 1990, while the United States Department of State lists it under "other groups of concern".

According to ULFA sources, it was founded on 7 April 1979 at Rang Ghar and began operations in 1990. Sunil Nath, former Central Publicity Secretary and spokesman of ULFA has stated that the organisation established ties with the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland in 1983 and with the Burma based Kachin Independent Army in 1987. Military operations against the ULFA by the Indian Army began in 1990 and continue to this day. On 5 December 2009, the chairman and the deputy commander-in-chief of ULFA was taken into Indian custody. In 2011, there was a major crackdown on ULFA in Bangladesh under the previous regime of Awami League, which greatly assisted the government of India in bringing ULFA leaders to talks. In January 2010, ULFA softened its stance and dropped demands for independence as a condition for talks with the Government of India.

On 3 September 2011, a tripartite agreement for "Suspension of Operations" agreement was signed by the Indian government, the Assam government and the ULFA.