NEW DELHI : Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA), a militant outfit operating mostly in the hill district of Dima Hasao in Assam, has announced a unilateral ceasefire for six months.
The announcement was made through a press release issued on September 7 by the outfit’s publicity secretary Mungsri Ringsmai Dimasa. It said that the move follows a call for peace by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“As a goodwill gesture and as positive response to the call of peace by chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, we the DNLA, are hereby declaring ‘unilateral ceasefire’ on September 7, 2021 for six months for creating an atmosphere for peace talks with the government of Assam and government of India,” the release said.
The announcement came exactly two weeks after the outfit allegedly killed five persons and injured one when they indiscriminately fired at a convoy of seven trucks and set them afire on August 26 at Diyungbra in Dima Hasao district.
Formed in April 2019, DNLA seeks an independent nation for the Dimasa community through an armed struggle. In recent months, members of the outfit have been killed in gun battle with security forces or have surrendered.
DNLA’s ceasefire announcement follows the Centre signing a tripartite peace deal with five militant outfits active in the neighbouring Karbi Anglong district of the state.
