Guwahati: The Assam Government has sounded a red alert across the State in view of the Royal Bhutan Army launching an operation against Northeast rebel outfits holed up in that country.

All police stations and district administrations have been alerted to remain on guard against any possible attempts by insurgents to launch revenge strikes in retaliation to attacks on their camps in Bhutan, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters in Guwahati today (Dec 16, 2003).

"The militants will definitely try to strike, but we have taken preventive measures. The fleeing ultras from Bhutan also cannot be allowed to enter here when they are banned outfits," he said.

The Army and paramilitary forces too have been instructed to strengthen their presence along the Indo- Bhutan border at Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Darrang and Sonitpur districts, Gogoi said.

The Centre has been asked for Special Services Bureau (SSB) forces that were withdrawn from the Indo- Bhutan border to Jammu and Kashmir, he said, adding the forces are being sent back to the State.

"The extremists should surrender. See what happened to Saddam Hussein.

"If the militants surrender and give up their armed struggle then we will accept them back to the mainstream... They must realise the futility of continuing an armed struggle as they will achieve nothing. They should follow the footsteps of Laldenga in Mizoram, NSCN (Nationalist Social Council of Nagaland) in Nagaland and Bodo Liberation Tigers here," he asserted.

PTI