GUWAHATI, March 5 - The Bhutan Army has launched an operation against militants belonging to the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), who managed to cross over to that country following sustained operation by the police and security forces in Assam.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that a group of NDFB(S) men, led by dreaded militant G Bidai, managed to cross over to Bhutan by taking advantage of the porous international border.
Sources said that the militants were on the run following sustained operation launched by the forces in the aftermath of the killing of more than 70 persons, including women and children by members of the outfit on December 23, 2014 and as they were unable to sustain themselves in Assam, they crossed over to Bhutan.
Sources said that according to inputs available with the Indian security agencies, that particular group of the outfit was staying in a hilly area in Bhutan just across the Jamduar reserve forest in Assam. They are not receiving any help from the local population of Bhutan and they are reportedly having a tough time to sustain themselves.
The Government of India has given the details of the inputs available on the location of the militants and based on the inputs, the Bhutan Army has launched an operation against the ultras three days back. However, the outcome of the operation is not yet known.
Security sources said that the ultras would not be able to sustain themselves for a long period in Bhutan following the offensive launched by Bhutan Army and they would be forced to return to India soon.
It may be mentioned here that Bhutan has been providing assistance to India in dealing with militancy and the Operation All Clear, launched by Bhutan Army in December, 2003, virtually broke the backbone of the major militant groups of Assam. The headquarters of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), NDFB and KLP were destroyed in that operation, while a number of cadres of the outfits, including senior leaders, were arrested and handed over to India. The outfits never managed to regain their full strength following that operation.
