Guwahati, July 18 :    Guwahati, July 18:  Fear of retaliation by the National Democratic Front of Boroland looms large as the army kept up its offensive and killed three more rebels of the banned outfit in separate encounters since last night. Two pistols and a grenade were recovered from the slain militants who are yet to be identified. With this, the death toll of NDFB militants killed in encounters in the last 48 hours has gone up to 11. Army sources said troops operating in Kokrajhar district gunned down a cycle-borne militant near Datkari village after he lobbed a grenade at the patrol unit. Another militant was killed near the Ripu reserve forest, in the same district, when he tried to flee. The third NDFB militant was killed near Baithalangso village in Nagaon district after the rebel fired on an approaching Army patrol unit. The army had, on Monday, killed eight rebels in three separate encounters in Darrang, Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts. Eight other rebels were arrested from Nalbari district. Intelligence sources said the stepped-up offensive may spark fresh turmoil in the Bodo Autonomous Council area. 'The NDFB will try to get even sooner than later as it has lost 11 men in the last 48 hours. Under pressure, it is likely to take up desperate measures to make its presence felt,' a top intelligence source said. Apart from targeting security forces, the NDFB may pick on members of the Bodo Liberation Tigers. The NDFB suspects the BLT, which is in the process of negotiations with the Centre, of acting as 'informers' of security forces. The NDFB, known for its expertise in handling explosives, may target government installations, the sources warned. There are apprehensions that the latest offensive may, in some way, seriously hamper the ongoing talks between the BLT, the Centre and state government. A new Bodo accord is reportedly being given finishing touches. The talks mainly revolved around the modalities for the formation of the proposed 'Bodoland territorial council' which will replace the failed Bodo autonomous council. The last round of talks were held in New Delhi on June 13. 'Though inconclusive, the participants at the two-day talks expressed hopes of a breakthrough soon,' sources had earlier said, referring to the negotiations. The talks, which were in an 'advanced stage', had to be temporarily suspended because of the Assembly elections in May. The parleys, however, resumed well before the July 31 deadline set by the All-Bodo Students' Union. Unlike the BLT, the NDFB has repeatedly spurned peace offers from both the Union and state governments. The outfit - which considers the BLT as a 'stooge' of the Union government - is against anything short of an 'independent Bodoland'. Political analysts have linked the Army offensive to the ongoing talks. 'Since there are reports that the accord may lead to widespread violence, the authorities are trying to neutralise the NDFB as much as possible before signing any deal with the help of the BLT,' an observer said. The analysis is mainly based on a Central intelligence agency report which warned of 'further controversies and trouble owing to serious ethnic/communal violence and breakdown in the law-and-order situation in the state' if the proposed new council is formed. The 'exclusion and inclusion' of villages in the 'renotified' BAC could spark off 'communal and ethnic' turmoil in the districts of Darrang, Nalbari, Kamrup, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Kokrajhar. 'From whichever angle one looks, we will witness largescale violence. These killings are only setting the pace,' a source said.