GUWAHATI, June 14 � Though the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) area remained by and large peaceful since the killing of more than 40 people in the first two days of May, the security agencies are keeping their fingers crossed as there are reports of attempts by militants belonging to the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) to smuggle in arms and ammunition to the area.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that almost every week, the NDFB (S) militants have been making attempts to smuggle in weapons to the BTAD area. Though several such attempts were foiled due to timely receipt of intelligence inputs, the possibility of some such consignments having reached the BTAD area cannot be ruled out.
Sources said that of late, the militants are trying to hire �family vehicles� instead of SUVs to transport weapons to avoid detection by police and security forces. Sources revealed that Dimapur is still the hub of arms smuggling by the militants operating in the North Eastern region as the arms smugglers normally bring in weapons from Myanmar by taking advantage of the porous international border.
Most of the militants involved in the killings in Baksa and Kokrajhar districts on May 1 and 2 managed to escape to Bhutan, where the militants have managed to
establish temporary bases after the police and security forces mounted operations. Sources said that the movement of the forces along the Assam-Bhutan border areas would be restricted during the rainy season and the militants may try to take advantage of the terrain to sneak back into Assam again.
Sources said that as the election to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is due next year, the possibility of the militants trying to step up their activities towards the end of this year cannot be ruled out. �The Bodo and non-Bodo polarisation was complete during the recent Lok Sabha polls and this may create tension in the area in the ensuing BTC elections,� sources added.
