GUWAHATI, March 21 � Militants belonging to the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) are collecting huge amounts of money from the persons involved in illegal felling of trees in Sonitpur district and the Army personnel have launched a massive manhunt in the area both to check felling of trees and activities of the militants.
Army sources said that a large number of persons are involved in illegal felling of trees in the Charduar Reserve Forest as well as in the Batashipur and Tarajuli areas. The logs are usually carried out of the forests on bicycles and the NDFB militants charge Rs 20 to Rs 80 from each cycle depending on the quality of timber carried out of the forests. According to a conservative estimate, the NDFB militants were collecting at least Rs 30,000 per day from the timber smugglers.
To deal with the militants and timber felling, the Army has launched an operation in the area and patrolling in the vulnerable locations has been intensified. Sources said that on March 12, 30 logs were seized in the Batashipur area and 100 CFT of wood was recovered in the Pabhoi area. The seized timber was handed over to the forest department. Again on March 13, 204 CFT of timber was seized.
Army sources said that the drive would affect the NDFB, which was collecting substantial amounts of money, and make the militants desperate. The encounter, which took place yesterday at a place between Batashipur and Abhoi, in which two Armymen were injured and one NDFB man was killed, is believed to be a result of the ongoing drive by the Army, sources said.
Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the 4 Corps of the Army, Col Rajesh Kalia said that in recent times, the Army and other security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations achieved considerable success in the operations against the militants belonging to the anti-talk faction of the NDFB. He said that in the month of January this year, as many as 19 militants were killed, of whom, 13 belonged to anti-talk faction of the NDFB, while, two belonged to AANLA and four could not be identified. He said that in February this year, seven NDFB and six United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants were killed, while, so far this month, six ultras, five of NDFB and one of ULFA were killed.
