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Foreign agencies supporting militant outfits: Buddhadeb

Special Correspondent

Kolkata: “Different militant outfits like the Laskar-e-Taiba and the Al-Badr are being supported, funded and trained by foreign intelligence agencies using the India-Bangladesh and the India-Nepal border to their advantage,” Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said.

In his budget speech for the State’s Home department in the West Bengal Assembly here on Thursday, the Chief Minister said these agencies were also involved in transporting weapons and explosives into the country and “misguiding youths.”

They “are reported to have links with the United Liberation Force of Asom (ULFA) and the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO),” he added.

Activities of militant groups operating in north Bengal were also a cause for concern to his government, Mr. Bhattacharjee said. The ULFA and other Assam-based militant outfits were trying to create their own areas of influence in certain parts of West Bengal and intelligence reports said the KLO continued to have links with other militant organisations that included the All Tripura Tiger Force and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, he said.

On the situation in Darjeeling hills, the Chief Minister told the House that his government was committed to bringing peace to the area and not for “confrontation” with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM).

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