Dibrugarh: Two United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) cadres surrendered before security forces in Arunachal Pradesh’s Namsai district on Tuesday.
The surrendered cadres, identified as Bhargab Hazarika alias Ban Asom and Astitva Axom, were subsequently handed over to Tinsukia police for interrogation and further legal action.
Bhargab Hazarika, a native of Dibrugarh district, played a key role in a successful arms recovery operation. He guided security forces to a hideout in Nongtaw Khampti village, where a substantial cache of weapons was seized, including one highly sophisticated MQ-81 rifle, 153 live rounds of ammunition, and one rifle grenade round.
Bhargab was part of a seven-member ULFA-I group that had engaged in a fierce encounter with the Assam Rifles in the same village on October 21, in which one militant, Iwon Asom, was killed.
Tinsukia SSP Mayank Kumar confirmed the development, calling it a “positive step in our ongoing efforts to neutralise insurgent activities.”
The surrender holds added significance as it comes shortly after the high-profile surrender of ULFA-I’s self-styled ‘major general’ Arunodoi Dohutia alias Bijit Gogoi on November 23.
Sources said it marks a major setback for ULFA-I. Following the surrender of Arunodoi Dohutia, the surrender of the two cadres has further weakened the outfit.
Security forces have intensified counter-insurgency operations along the Assam-Arunachal border and are taking all possible measures to restore peace in the region.
“Recently, many ULFA-I cadres have surrendered due to sustained pressure from security forces. Several key leaders of the group have either surrendered or been arrested. Now the pressure is firmly on ULFA-I because of intensified operations against them,” said a source.
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