Rebels appeal to Bhutan

The main separatist group in Assam says it has appealed to the Bhutanese government to stop joint military operations with India against its bases in southern Bhutan.

The head of the United Liberation Front of Assam ULFA, Paresh Barua, said he made the appeal in view of what he called historic ties between Assam and Bhutan.

Earlier this year, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of Bhutan threatened a military crackdown on ULFA guerrillas if they didn't vacate their Bhutanese bases. The ULFA fight for an independent homeland in Assam has claimed the lives of more than ten-thousand people over two decades.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service