Assam killers nabbed

In a major breakthrough, security forces in India's Assam state nabbed 12 militants of disbanded National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songibjit faction) on Sunday.

The militants were involved in the massacre of more than 80 non-Bodos last month.

On Saturday, a self styled commander of the NDFB (S), Jwblang, was gunned down by a joint posse of Assam police and the Sasashtra Seema Bal (SSB). He was killed in a fierce encounter near Sefanguri police station along India-Bhutan border.

Between Saturday and Sunday, 12 militants of NDFB (S) were apprehended during a joint operation by security forces in Manas National Park in Chirang district along the Indo-Bhutan border. They were all involved in the December massacre.

The 12 militants arrested included two on the most wanted list. They were nabbed with a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, said LR Bishnoi, Inspector General of Police who led the operation on Sunday.

Bishnoi said the arrested militants include NDFB (Songbijit) Panbari ‘platoon commander’ B Jakrup, 29, and its central council accountant ‘2nd Lieutenant’ Rahul Islary alias J Rwmwilu, 31, who carry a reward of Rs 500,000 each. Others arrested included its 13th battalion ‘deputy commandant’ B Simang, 27, and its central council member N Pwlersa, 24. The operation had been launched on Jan 8.

The other arrested militants included the outfit's Chirang platoon second in charge self-styled ‘sergeant major’ N Saya, 25, ‘section commander corporal’ B Aorai, its ’13th battalion corporal’ M Jahor, ‘lance corporal’ Khoiram Doira, ‘section commanders’ Sujilang and B Thouren, besides cadres G Kala and B Aogao, IGP Bishnoi said..

On Dec 23, the NDFB(S) militants attacked 'Adivasi' Santhal villages in Sontipur and Kokrajhar district and killed nearly 80 villagers. Then subsequent retaliatory attacks on Bodo villages by some miscreants among the Adivasis claimed more lives. The violence displaced 2,70,000 people belonging to both the communities in the four districts of the state.