Kokrajhar, June 16: Security forces dismantled an abandoned camp of the militant National Democratic Front of Boroland (Songbijit) inside Manas National Park in lower Assam's Baksa district and also denied the outfit's claim of having ambushed a boat on patrol inside the park.

NDFB (S) general secretary B.R. Ferenga reportedly called up mediapersons in Kokrajhar, claiming that a joint team of the Songbijit faction, Ulfa (Independent) and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) had ambushed a boat carrying security personnel in the Matunguri area of the park around 6.30 this morning.

He said there were about eight to 10 security personnel in the boat.

Assam police and public relations officer (defence), Guwahati, Lt Col Suneet Newton, denied the claim.

Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) inspector-general of police L.R. Bishnoi also said, "No such incident has taken place. This is false and baseless."

He said the NDFB (S) camp was dismantled inside the national park yesterday as part of security forces'operations against the rebel groups in the area bordering Bhutan.

Sources said the operations were continuing in the national park and in some areas along the Assam-Bengal border for the past few days.

The operations were launched based on intelligence inputs that a group of NDFB (S) rebels, including some of their top leaders, could be hiding at these places.

A police source in Guwahati said the camp they dismantled was a makeshift one set up with tarpaulin sheets. A grenade, a pistol, a magazine and some other items were seized from the camp.

"The militants were taking shelter in the camp. They seem to have fled, leaving behind the arms, just before the security forces reached there," the source said.

The joint operation by the security forces comes a few days after Assam director-general of police Khagen Sarma said that NDFB (S) top leaders in Assam - G. Bidai and his associate Binod Mushahary alias Batha - along with 40-50 cadres were trying to regroup.

The militants were reportedly hiding in the dense jungles of the park, a World Heritage site, and had set up new bases there after security forces bust a key camp of the outfit at Ripu-Chirang reserve forest in Kokrajhar.

Earlier this week, Sarma had held a meeting with officials of the army, the CRPF, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the BSF at Salbari in Baksa district on security issues and the ongoing operation against the outfit.