GUWAHATI, Jan 18 � A major security lapse following a successful operation against the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) has caused ripples among the security agencies and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also been informed about the incident. Meanwhile, several senior members of the NDFB (S) are trying to escape to Myanmar following intensification of the operations against them.
Three hardcore members of the NDFB (S) including the commander of the third battalion of the outfit, Ajoi Basumatary alias B Bahum, under whose direction the recent killings in Sonitpur district took place, were arrested in Nagaland by a joint operation by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) and Nagaland Police. The arrests were viewed as a major success for the forces operating against the NDFB(S) following the December 23 killing of more than 70 persons.
But interestingly, Bahum could manage to make a phone call after he was taken into custody by Nagaland Police and it is believed that he could pass on important message. Highly placed sources in the Unified Command told The Assam Tribune that the call made by Bahum could be intercepted by one of the security agencies and that caused ripples among all the agencies. Sources revealed that according to information available, Bahum knew the locations of at least 40 sophisticated weapons and it is now suspected that as he managed to make a phone call, he might have issued directions to shift the same to safer places. The possibility of some cadres managing to escape immediately after the arrest of Bahum also cannot be ruled out.
Sources said that even after the killings, Bahum was in touch with G Bidai, the commander-in-chief of the NDFB (S) and he could escape from Assam in an ambulance. The security agencies were tracking him for the last five days or so and finally he was located on January 14. As the Assam Police cannot operate in Nagaland, the help of Nagaland Police personnel was sought to nab Bahum and his associates. Bahum was reportedly trying to escape to Myanmar along with two of his colleagues, Dilip Basumatary alias Lambu, the forest secretary of the outfit, who was responsible for the operations of the outfit inside the reserved forests and Khemrei Basumatary, the second in command of the 14 battalion of the outfit.
Meanwhile, more than 20 officers of the NIA comprising four teams are investigating the cases of killings by the NDFB (S). Official sources said that so far, more than 50 cadres of the NDFB (S) have been arrested and the NIA teams are questioning all the important arrested cadres. Sources pointed out that the NIA is also investigating into the killings of 40 persons in Baksa and Kokrajhar districts in May last year and a few of those arrested in the recent drive , were also wanted in connection with those killings.
