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NDFB(S) trying to smuggle arms into State

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 5 � Though the militants belonging to the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) are keeping a low profile for some time because of sustained operations by the police and security forces, the outfit is engaged in fresh recruitments and at the same time, efforts are also on to smuggle in weapons to Assam.

Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that there have been repeated attempts by the NDFB (S) to smuggle in weapons to Assam through Dimapur and according to intelligence inputs, one consignment reac-hed the State, while the forces managed to foil several other attempts by the outfit.

Sources said that the outfit has also been able to make fresh recruitments, not only from the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) but also from places like Dhemaji. Sources pointed out that recently six new recruits were apprehended when the outfit was making attempts to send them to camps in Myanmar for training.

Sources revealed that in recent times, the NDFB(S) suffered severe setbacks in the counter-insurgency operations and at least 24 hardcore cadres were killed within this year alone, which forced the outfit to keep a low profile and wait for opportunities to strike back at the security forces. The total strength of the outfit, as estimated by the police and security forces, would be around 270 to 300 members. Sources said that the chairman of the outfit, IK Songbijit is now spending most of his time in Tamu area along the India-Myanmar border and most of the activities of the outfit are now masterminded by the deputy commander in chief D Bidai and general secretary N Batha.

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