ULFA and NDFB rebels are buying modern Chinese arms from the arms bazar in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Pak-Afghan border, says Lt Gen Mohinder Singh, who heads Assam’s Unified Command (operations).

Gen Singh, who is also the GOC, IV Corps based at Tezpur is confident that militant movements have been under check.  During the last one year, the security forces have achieved considerable success, he said and attributed this to a three-point formula - offensive action, resource control and encouragement to surrender of militants.

He was happy that the latest batch of returnees included prominent ULFA persons like  ‘lance corporal’ Madhab Choudhury alias MC, ‘officer-in-charge’ of Enigma camp Arun Talukdar alias Tango and in-charge of the outfit’s Deothang camp ‘sgt major’ Tapan Tamuli alias Anup Bharali. Three women ULFA cadres — Rina Das, Sabita Choudhury, wife of Madhab Choudhury, and Renu Medhi also surrendered. The women said that the main reason for giving up the armed struggle was to devote time in bringing up their children.

The surrender took place at the headquarters of the Red Horns Division of the Army at Tamulpur in Nalbari. A total of 19 ULFA and 11 NDFB cadres surrendered...‘Corporal’ Banduram Boro who was trained at Naglang camp, ‘lance corporals’ Purnak Narzary and Paresh Basumatary are among the important NDFB leaders who had surrendered..

The GOC said that the Army has cordoned off a vast area in Lakhipathar, where nearly 30 cadres of ULFA’s 27th battalion have sneaked in from the Myanmar border a few days ago.. He said that these cadres have divided themselves into small groups. Negating the fact that the ULFA is on a recruitment spree, Lt Gen Singh said that recruitment is going on at gun-point at a negligible rate in the villages.

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