In a major breakthrough, security agencies on Monday arrested a total of 18 National Democratic Front of Bodoland- Songbijit terrorists, including the commanding officer of its 13th battalion Bikunas Narzary alias Birlangbai, from different places across Assam and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered.
Defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Suneet Newton said five NDFB-S militants were arrested from Udalguri district, while 11 were apprehended from Chirang. Joint forces, comprising the army, the Assam police and the National Investigation Agency team, have also nabbed one terrorist each from Baksa district and Guwahati city.
Based on a specific intelligence, a joint operation was launched along the forest area of Assam-Arunachal border in Udalguri, the spokesperson said. "The operation resulted in capture of dreaded terrorist Bikunas Narzary alias Birlangbai with another four hardcore terrorists namely Bidai Singh Narzary alias Bugdaw, Lohit Basumatry alias B Ferkw, N Araibaw alias Aijak Narzary and Dura Singh Brahma alias B Khamshaw," he said.
The team also recovered one AK-56 Rifle with magazine, one 9 mm pistol (foreign made) with holster, 25 7.62 mm live rounds, 54 9 mm live rounds and one hand grenade.
"The apprehension of Bikunas Narzary alias Birlangbai is a body blow to the NDFB-S as he is the self-styled commanding officer of 13th battalion of NDFB-S... With apprehension of him along with other accomplices, it can be said that the top leadership of 13th battalion of NDFB-S is wiped off," the spokesperson said in a statement.
In another major blow to the terror outfit, 11 of its cadres were apprehended in a joint operation from the Panbari forest area of Chirang district.
Improvised Explosive Device expert for the NDFB-S Deven Goyari, who made an
unsuccessful attempt to plant an IED against the army last month, Raton Bengali, who was involved in providing information and other assistance to the organisation during Labdanguri carnage, are two important catches in the operation, the army officer said.
The other arrested persons are Hokom Boro, Upendra Nath, Namal Basumatary, Sanjay Goyari, Ulla Basumatary, Raju Boro, Konin Basumatary, Prakash Narzary alias Gahen and Ranjan Basumatary alias Kipihungla.
The recovered arms and ammunition include two IEDs, nine detonators, two 7.65 mm pistols, 10 rounds of 7.65 mm pistol, five rounds of 7.62 mm pistol and a packet of ball bearings.
Newton said that the Guwahati city police and the 175 Central Reserve Police Force battalion apprehended a hardcore NDFB-S terrorist in the state capital after getting information input from Gajraj Intelligence Unit.
The cadre has been identified as Birsing Basumatary and it is suspected that he entered the city to carry out disruptive activities on the occasion of the Republic Day celebrations, he added.
Besides, the self-styled platoon commander of NDFB-S Nalbari district was nabbed from Antaibari under Tamolpur police station in Baksa district. The terrorist has been identified as sergeant Bimal Boro alias Khwobla, the army spokesperson said.
"The capture of the terrorists has created a sense of safety among the people who were threatened by these anti- national elements," Newton said. At least 81 persons, including Adivasis, Bodos and Bengalis, were killed in serial attacks by NDFB-S terrorists, retaliatory violence and police firing across many districts in Assam last month.
Meanwhile, in a joint operation by the army and the Assam police, eight suspected cadres of militant group Karbi Land Protection Force were also arrested from Karbi Anglong district along with a cache of arms and ammunition.
"In a joint operation, the army unit at Diphu Red Horns Division and police apprehended eight suspected KLPF cadres on January 19," a defence spokesperson said in a statement.
Based on an input from Gajraj intelligence, a joint operation was launched by the army and assam Police in Gandhipur of East Karbi Anglong during the wee hours.
"When the security forces approached the suspected hideout of the terrorists, they were fired upon. However, the security forces also retaliated and after a brief gun fight, eight suspected terrorists were apprehended," the official said.
Those apprehended have been identified as Biren Ingti, ohan Terang, Andres Teron, Bizu Teron, John Teron, Babu Teron, Rakesh Ingti and Rup Singh. The security team also recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including three pistols, several grenades and ammunition of different weapons, the spokesperson said.
