Four National Front of Bodoland (S) cadres killed in Assam

The militants were killed when the army and police were conducting a joint operation in the dense jungles in Kokrajhar district

The outlawed National Front of Bodoland (Songbijit faction) suffered a major blow today when four of its hardcore members were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces a joint operation in Kokrajhar district in western Assam.

The militants were killed when the army and police were conducting a joint operation in the dense jungles in Kokrajhar district close to the Indo-Bhutan border in the wee hours today. The troops also recovered some sophisticated arms and ammunition including one AK-56 rifle, three pistols and several hand grenades. The four hardcore NDFB(S) militants who were killed included Muhar Basumatary, self-styled section second-in-command.

Defence PRO Lt Col Suneet Newton said the army has been carrying out relentless operations in the remote border areas of Kokrajhar and Chirang district close to the Bhutan border in the wake of the NDFB’s raising day on October 3, 2014. He said the army had received intelligence inputs about the NDFB(S) planning to carry out a major strike on security forces and also target minority communities around October 3.

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The army had on August 20 killed five hardcore cadres of the NDFB(S), following which its top leadership had instructed its cadres to strike back particularly targeting the security forces. Top NDFB(S) leader Rueikha alias Rajiv Champagayary, a self-styled military secretary and commander of the outfit’s Irakdao Brigade was killed in that operation.

On September 13 on the other hand, the army had apprehended five members of a newly-formed Nepalese terrorist organization called United Gorkha Peoples Organization (UGPO) in the dense Pabatjhora forest in Kokrajhar district, a known hideout of the NDFB(S). Lt Col Newton said the NDFB(S) had apparently outsourced its activities to the UGPO to fill up the vacuum created due to elimination of several of its cadres in Kokrajhar district in the recent weeks.

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